People attacked by police dogs get personal injury compensation
People in West Midlands have been paid over £25,000 in personal injury compensation after being bitten by police dogs around the area.
Figures revealed that a countable number of 680 people were seriously injured after being bitten by these dogs in a span of merely three years- out of which a great number are under suspicion of committing an unlawful activity while they were bitten by these canines. Nine people out of this large group were placed under the category of those who were in the wrong place at the wrong hour and were thus paid out compensations to meet recovery.
One of the instances also claimed that the police officer handling the dogs was negligent of his duties and also trespassed the property of the victim that culminated into a major cause for the attack. The total noted amount that was paid out in compensation is £25,132 to the victims.
A police spokesperson from West Midlands said that the dog handlers of the police department always wait for a given time period before making a particular sound that is a command for the dogs and only then they unclip it from its leash to warn the suspect before hand, but if the suspect goes on running these police dogs are trained in a way to chase and bite down these suspects for security reasons. These dogs are also well checked to let go of the suspect on immediate command by the handler. Wolverhampton councilor termed these attacks as ‘worrying’ and also added that the police dogs were an essential part of crime control but the increasing number of attacks is more than simply alarming.
Updated on 22/07/2010