Police dogs in Lincolnshire could get body armour
The Lincolnshire force is considering the move after Staffordshire Police decided to roll out better protection for its dogs
Extra protection for police dogs in 'under consideration' at Lincolnshire Police, after Staffordshire Police decided to roll out body armour for its canine officers.
Earlier this week the Staffordshire force revealed it was having protective equipment custom made for its animals - in a UK first.
The armour was chosen after the force evaluated different types – for their protection level, durability and design. They have been produced following feedback from extensive trials conducted by UK police forces.
The rollout comes after ‘Finn’s Law’ (Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Act) legislation was introduced in June 2019. German Shepherd Finn was stabbed in the head and chest as he protected PC Dave Wardell from a knife-wielding robbery suspect in Stevenage in 2016.
The legislation makes it harder for those who harm service animals to claim they were acting in self-defence. Under the previous law, the attack on Finn could only be treated as criminal damage.
We've approached several of our local police forces to see if something similar could happen in Lincolnshire and Newark.
Lincolnshire Police told us the idea is 'under consideration'. The force contributes to a regional dog section - which provides 24 hour cover for incidents across the East Midlands.
Leicestershire Police, which is the force covering Rutland, says its not currently looking at body armour for dogs.