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Bill would require California police K-9 units to meet POST canine guidelines; critics say standards are inadequate
Summary
AB 400 would require all law enforcement agencies with K-9 units to meet statewide standards recently published by POST; police associations and sheriffs supported the bill, while civil-rights groups and public defenders opposed, saying the standards repeat weak agency policies and fail to prevent racialized and excessive uses of canines.
Assemblymember Pacheco presented AB 400, which would require all law-enforcement agencies operating K-9 units to meet canine standards published by the Commission on Peace Officers' Standards and Training (POST), including training, use-of-force standards and handler requirements.
"AB 400 will require that all law enforcement agencies with K-9 units meet the statewide standards established by POST for these programs, ensuring consistency, accountability, and excellence," Pacheco said, calling the measure a national-leading package of minimum requirements.
Law-enforcement groups including the California Police Chiefs Association, PORAC (Peace Officers Research Association of California) and the California State Sheriffs' Association supported the bill. Jonathan Feldman (Police Chiefs) and Randy Perry (PORAC) testified they participated in multi-year development of the POST guidelines and called them meaningful minimum standards. "These guidelines will sit on top of a body of law, case law, existing policies, state statutes that govern use of force," Feldman said.
Opponents including ACLU California Action and the California Public Defenders Association urged rejection, calling the move a legislative shortcut to adopt standards the legislature had previously rejected. The ACLU's George Pramathu said the POST guidelines replicate policies from departments with poor records and that last year's legislative process rejected those standards. "These standards should be rejected once more," Pramathu said, citing racial disparities and high settlement payouts in canine deployments.
Public defenders also urged a legislative process that includes community input rather than making POST guidelines a de facto statewide mandate. Multiple senators noted the debate's long history and voiced concerns about local discretion, statutory primacy, and whether agencies could adopt stricter rules.
No formal committee vote was taken at the hearing; committee members asked for further deliberation and said they would pursue amendments.
