Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training: police canines.

Assembly Member Pacheco guides a time-bound, study-focused measure that directs the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to examine how police canines are used in law enforcement and to prepare recommendations for the Legislature.

The core directive establishes a temporary requirement for POST to study canine deployments and report back by mid-2028. The study must address: the community and law enforcement implications of canine use with an emphasis on safeguarding life, dignity, and liberty without prejudice; the fair and unbiased performance of duties by officers, including use of force involving canines; appropriate patrol applications with a canine (encompassing obedience, searches, apprehension, and handler protection); appropriate detection applications (including control, alert, and odor detection); factors for evaluating and reviewing all canine use-of-force incidents; and additional safety considerations such as warning protocols before releasing a canine within a deployment area. The reporting obligation references established Government Code processes, and the new provision contains a sunset repealing the requirement on a specified future date.

From a regulatory perspective, the measure does not itself alter existing canine deployment standards or penal statutes; rather, it creates a one-time, finite study obligation for POST and outlines the timetable for delivering recommendations to the Legislature. The fiscal note is open to oversight, as the measure does not include an explicit appropriation but requires review by the fiscal committee, with implementation anchored in POST’s duties within the Department of Justice and the existing Government Code framework governing reporting and sunset provisions. The sunset date ensures the provision expires unless renewed by subsequent legislation.