ACLU presses POST for stronger K‑9 rules as POST reviews guidelines and lawmakers consider AB 400

An American Civil Liberties Union representative told the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training that the agency’s K‑9 guidelines repeat failed policies and fail to limit “find‑and‑bite” tactics, while POST staff said they will study minimum required training standards and that Assembly Bill 400, which would standardize K‑9 certification and reporting, has advanced to the state senate.

George Prampathu, speaking for ACLU California Action during the meeting’s public‑comment period, urged the commission to revise K‑9 guidance after he said the Legislature rejected a bill that failed to reform police‑dog use. “These guidelines repeat word for word what the Legislature just rejected,” Prampathu said in public comment, citing Bakersfield Police Department data showing a high share of deployments used against people who were intoxicated or mentally ill.

Later in the agenda, POST staff briefed commissioners on work since last year’s publication of revised K‑9 guidelines. Michael Dalisay, POST’s law enforcement consultant for canine programs, told the commission that POST published K‑9 guideline updates in late 2024 to reflect “contemporary best practices,” and that subject‑matter experts at recent workshops recommended identifying mandatory minimum standards for handlers, coordinators and trainers, especially for apprehension dogs.

Dalisay noted that AB 400 — legislation introduced this year to standardize K‑9 training protocols and reporting for apprehension incidents — was read in the Senate the day before the meeting. The staff presentation said AB 400 would require POST‑approved training for all K‑9 handlers within six months of assignment and annual review of K‑9 deployment data.

Commission discussion reflected a mix of views. Commissioner Bridal, a former K‑9 handler, questioned parts of the published guidelines and called attention to a provision that allows a handler to physically touch a dog to effect a release, saying that practice would have been a failure under earlier certification standards. Commissioners and advisory‑committee members requested POST circulate the previously published (2014) and current guidelines to the commission for side‑by‑side review.

Chief Jason Salazar, chair of the POST advisory committee, said the advisory group supports developing standardized minimum content for training and certification, but advisory members raised implementation questions: how many times a background or test could transfer between agencies and how to verify training quality across purchasers.

What POST will do: Dalisay told the commission POST proposes to conduct a review of existing documentation and training and to identify mandatory minimum training standards consistent with the revised guidelines and legislative developments. POST staff also agreed to email commissioners the prior (2014) and current (2024) guideline texts so members could compare changes before the next meeting.

Why it matters: K‑9 deployments often involve force and public‑safety tradeoffs; activists and some prosecutors have urged stronger reporting and certification rules to reduce misuse and increase transparency. Legislation such as AB 400 would create statutory minimums and reporting obligations, while POST’s review could shape any future regulation and training standards.