Girl, 12, bitten by police dog

Alarm at how often police use dogs ‘to subdue a child’.

A12-year-old girl hiding in a kindergarten after midnight was bitten by a police dog when she did not respond to an officer’s calls.

The child was one of 29 youths to have police dogs used against them in six months, a statistic the Children’s Commissioner says is “surprising” and the Maori Party says is “completely unacceptable”.

Tactical Operations police data obtained by the Herald on Sunday shows youths made up 20 per cent of incidents where dogs were used. Of those youths, more than 60 per cent stated their ethnicity as Maori.

In general, Maori were 12 times more likely to face a dog than Pakeha.

Maori were also more likely to be hit by a baton, shot with a Taser or blasted with pepper spray, the statistics showed. Overall, a person who was Maori was seven times more likely to incur the use of police force than Pakeha. Pacific Islanders were also more likely to encounter force, at a rate of 3-1.

Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox said the statistics were in line with what was well-known about Maori over-representation in the justice system, but it was troubling to hear the disparity extended to children.

“It surprises me we would have to use a dog to subdue a child.

“On the face of it that seems completely unacceptable to me.”

Children’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft was particularly surprised at how many times dogs had been used against 12 and 13-year-olds.

“I would expect there would be a clear policy for the police as to how police dogs — and for that matter Tasers and pepper spray — are deployed when the police officer [knows] the person is a child.”

Police said force was only used as a last resort; that police were to use the least amount of force possible; and any use was based purely on the person’s behaviour at the time — not their age, gender or ethnicity.

“Using force against someone under the age of 16 is something we approach extremely carefully,” Superintendent Chris Scahill said. “It is always extremely sad and difficult for our staff when having to attend incidents involving very young people.”

In the case of the 12-year-old girl, a Pacific Islander, Counties Manukau police were told three people, ages unknown, were breaking into vehicles early one morning in July last year.

A police dog tracked the suspects, who were repeatedly warned to surrender, to a childcare centre, where the dog was released.

“The officer assessed that he was dealing with multiple offenders, of unknown ages, who it was believed could have had weapons, who also were in darkness and outnumbered him,” police said. “There were also multiple hazards in the area that could have been used as weapons.”

It was only when the dog had apprehended one of the suspects that the officer realised it was a girl. The dog was immediately recalled and the girl’s bite wounds were treated at the scene. It is not known how badly she was bitten.

The data covered more than 2500 events between July and December last year.

Police Minister Paula Bennett said it was an “unfortunate reality” that Maori were over-represented.

“We continue to progress a number of initiatives in this area,” she said.