Animal Cruelty
What use are animal cruelty laws if they are not enforced? The State of
Washington has some of the strictest and most thorough laws in the country,
yet relatively few cases are ever prosecuted. The primary reason for this
poor record is due to a weak enforcement framework.
Many times these crimes fall through the cracks between police departments
and animal control. The reason is often due to the current delegation of
responsibilities. Animal cruelty is presently handled by animal control
officers, not law enforcement. In the event of a cruelty investigation,
police departments look to over-burdened and under-trained animal control
officers to handle cruelty cases. Animal control lacks full police power
and is ill-equipped to vouchsafe animals and the community from violent
criminals. As a result, these crimes that require the training and
professional skills that only law enforcement can bring to bear ultimately
go unaddressed, and the majority of animal abuse goes unpunished.
Even those who do not care deeply about animal crimes should be concerned.
Animal cruelty is an indicator crime, meaning that perpetrators of violence
against animals are often linked to violence against humans, especially women
and children.
To stop the cycle of violence, animal cruelty cases should be vigorously pursued
by experienced King County police officers only, and thereafter turned over to the
county prosecuting attorneys. Only then will animal cruelty laws have their
intended effect.
In the following documentation and articles you will be provided with reasons …
fiscal responsibility, law enforcement, public safety, societal obligation … to
reassign animal cruelty investigations to the King County Sheriff’s Office
(KCSO). But
don’t take us at our word. Read on.