Lakewood Police Department Policy and Procedure Animal Control Team Operations		Effective Date: 1/29/2015
	Policy Number: PP-9200

1. The Animal Control Team is responsible to: 

a. Respond to animal-related calls for services. 

b. Investigate animal related bite incidents for municipal code violations, maintain records of bites for rabies compendium compliance. 

c. Investigate and enforce violations of animal-related municipal ordinances and state statutes. 

d. Patrol and take enforcement action within city jurisdiction for violations of municipal code pertaining to animals.
e. Provide educational information to citizens. 

f. Provide court testimony when subpoenaed. 

g. Maintain Animal Control vehicles by ensuring engine fluids are within the normal range, vehicles are fueled at the end of shift and cleaned and disinfected after use. 

h. Prioritize calls for service.

i. Prepare written reports, logs and communications. 

j. Utilize community-oriented problem solving and mediation procedures. 

k. Maintain a current referral list of federal, state and private agencies, which handle complaints and issues not governed by municipal ordinances or applicable state statutes. 

2. The Animal Control Section maintains a comprehensive procedure manual on each aspect of the section's responsibility. 

3. Animal Control Officers, trained and certified in its use, may carry and use Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) spray as follows: 

a. The carrying of OC spray within aerosol-type containers is optional. 

b. Animal Control Officers shall only carry a department-approved type of chemical agent.
 
c. Prior to carrying OC spray as an individual protective device, animal control officers shall receive training in its use by the department's training staff. A copy of the training report shall be forwarded to the Training Unit.

d. The department's training staff shall provide annual retraining in the use of OC spray to those personnel who choose to carry an OC based individual protective device.

e. OC spray may be used when objectively reasonable and when an Animal Control Officer (ACO) reasonably believes it is necessary to defend the ACO or a third person from what the ACO reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of physical force or to prevent an attack by an animal.

f. OC spray shall be applied according to the product manufacturer's instructions and directions of the department's training staff.

g. Animal control officers using OC spray are responsible for assuring that the sprayed animal is decontaminated and provided with veterinarian assistance, when practical.

h. The use of OC spray on a subject other than an animal requires that all pertinent reports be copied and forwarded for review via the involved employee's chain of command under the "Use of Force" review process.

i. Chemical agents approved by the department for individual carry are OC based chemical sprays. Police employees are only authorized to carry those brands in which the product label clearly indicates that they are non-flammable and either EMD safe, ECD safe, EDW safe, or Electronic Immobilization Device Compatible.

j. Prior to the deployment of OC spray, due regard shall be exercised for the safety of the subject, police personnel, and innocent citizens. Only the minimal amount of chemical agent necessary shall be deployed.

4. Animal Control Officers, trained and certified in their use, may carry and use department Taser devices under the following guidelines. 

a. When reasonable, to safely control a dangerous animal that poses a threat of bodily injury to police, animal control officers, citizens, or domestic animals. 

b. Animal Control Officers will follow all applicable guidelines found in this manual regarding the care, use, documentation, training, and supervisory notifications for Taser deployment. 
           

PP-9250 - Animal Control Vehicles