King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO)
Fully Commissioned Officers

King County Animal Care and Control (KCACC)
Limited Commissioned Officers

Criminal / Animal Cruelty Investigation Training

Criminal / Animal Cruelty Investigation Training

Eighteen-week academy (720 hours - Basic Law Enforcement Academy – BLEA) includes extensive hands-on training in:

• crime scene investigation,
• evidence handling,
• protection of civil rights (Miranda, Ferrier) and general population,
• search and seizure,
• arms (gun) use training,
• assessing human violence crimes, drug crimes, property crimes,
• custodial vs. non-custodial interview

Two-week academy (National Animal Control Association – NACA) includes basic training in:

• crime scene investigation,
• evidence handling,
• protection of civil rights (Miranda, Ferrier),
• search and seizure

Additional training: Washington Animal Control Association (WACA) training which discusses the investigation process, but provides no “hands on” work.

Mandatory Animal Cruelty and Neglect Assessment Training (started Spring 2008). Over 400 officers trained to date.

Non-Mandatory Animal Cruelty Investigation Courses – there is no requirement for attending prior to being hired for this position; officers attend when their work and class schedule allows. Fourteen Animal Control Officers trained to date.

Extensive daily on-site exposure and experience at a wide variety of crime scenes.

Occasional on-site exposure and experience at animal crime scenes.

Mandatory and frequent ‘refresher’ course training on all of the above procedures.

‘Refresher’ courses are available, but not mandatory. KCACC staff members have expressed concerns about inadequate training and protocol within animal control cruelty investigations. 

Criminal / Animal Cruelty Investigation Resources

Criminal / Animal Cruelty Investigation Resources

Evidence field kits (kit to take latent prints, cameras, crime scene tape, measuring tapes, rulers, evidence tape, bags, forms for evidence documentation & tracking), firearms with magazines, tasers, OC spray, batons, radios, handcuffs, evidence room at each precinct (locked facility with refrigeration and freezer) with a main evidence warehouse storage facility (very large with refrigeration and freezer space), interview rooms, holding cells, tape recorders, fingerprinting equipment, video recording experts, surveillance experts (with specialized cameras & sound equipment).

No evidence storage, interview rooms, holding cells, self- protection equipment, criminal processing resources, or evidence kits. 

Immediate access to records and crime databases (DOL, WACIC and NCIC), criminal history databases, and KCSO internal database to investigate crimes.

No immediate access to other databases, and must issue Public Records Disclosure Requests for KCSO cases – which may take months to be gathered and released.

Data indicates that animal-human crimes are often linked. As a result, KCSO believes it is imperative that dispatched officers be able to access above databases promptly to be aware of combined animal cruelty concerns with domestic violence/child abuse/school shootings/serial killer potential  - so that nothing is missed, and the responding officers and the public remain safe.

Animal care experts and public have historically expressed dismay and fear about not being adequately protected KCACC officers, when involved in or assisting on animal cruelty investigations. 

Cruelty Call Response Resources

Cruelty Call Response Resources

Up to 200 patrol officers able to respond to cruelty calls covering all of King County -- approximately 2,000 square miles.

At most 7 Animal Control Officers able to respond to cruelty calls at any one time covering all of King county -- approximately 2,000 square miles.

Patrol Officers can assess situation immediately. If there is evidence of animal cruelty or neglect and/or additional crimes, a dedicated crime investigator will be called in immediately to handle warrants, witnesses, suspects, etc.

KCACC Animal Control Officers assess situation. If there is evidence of cruelty or neglect, frequently KCACC officers will try to educate the owner on better animal care, or draw up an animal care plan and try to follow up at a later date, rather than pursue criminal charges.  Frequently there is inadequate follow-up. If KCACC contacts law enforcement to assist them on site (warrants, arrest, protection), they  will not release the animal cruelty case, relegating  law enforcement to a minor role

Call Response Timeliness

Call Response Timeliness

Patrol Officers are dedicated (prioritized) to a cruelty call response.

Animal Control Officers are dedicated (prioritized) to a cruelty call response, but response could be delayed for hours or even days due to extensive job responsibilities – including cleaning kennels at KCACC shelters.  

If a call holds for more than an hour, a Sergeant is notified in order to issue a prompt response

No back-up process to ensure prompt response. Some calls are not responded to for months.  Contracting cities and public express frustration due to inadequate call response.

Animal Cruelty Prosecutions

Animal Cruelty Prosecutions

A high percentage of animal cruelty calls received by the KCSO are assessed to warrant prosecution and are forwarded to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (PAO).  For example, of 19 animal cruelty and neglect calls received in 2005, KCSO filed 4 cases with the PAO (21%).  Of 25 calls received in 2007, KCSO filed 12 cases with the PAO (48%).

Only a tiny percentage of animal cruelty calls received by KCACC are assessed to warrant prosecution and are forwarded to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (PAO).  Of 1,002 animal cruelty/neglect calls received by KCACC in 2005, only 2 were filed with the PAO (0.2%).  Of 1,027 animal cruelty/neglect calls received in 2007, 14 were filed with the PAO (1.4%). 

The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (PAO) has indicated that animal abuse cases given to them from KCACC have had to be dismissed, or charges have been reduced, due to poor evidence gathering.

General Budget

General Budget

Cost for immediate & effective activation:
Crime scene and cruelty/neglect investigation training and investigation tools/resources are already established – no additional expenditure is necessary. Fiscal impact  = $ 0.

Cost for Model Program with incremental investment:
A ‘task force’ of cruelty investigations as suggested by KCSO would include one dedicated sergeant ($150K per year including benefits) and two dedicated deputies ($75K per deputy per year, including benefits).  
Fiscal impact = $ 300,000.00/year

NOTE: this plan would provide a criminal investigation process that brings experience, a proven track record, complete resources, and the ability to respond to animal cruelty calls promptly with up to 250 officers able to cover 2,000 square miles.

To train a KCACC officer to the same level as a KCSO officer (BLEA Academy), which is recommended to maintain public safety, the expense would be $100,000.00 per KCACC officer.  There are fourteen KCACC officers.
Fiscal impact = $ 1.4 million + annual salaries/benefits
(does not include investigation tools and resources)

NOTE: If all 14 animal control officers were to become fully- commissioned law enforcement officers at a cost of $100K each, this plan would cause substantial delay in activation due to the time needed for BLEA Academy training. Also, it would not address additional costs related to criminal investigation tools and resources (evidence storage, etc), nor would it solve the problem of lengthy call response times, as there would still only be only 14 officers to cover 2,000 square miles.

Crime assessment tools and resources (see Criminal / Animal Cruelty Investigation Resources section, above) for 200 patrol officers are already established – no additional expenditure is necessary.
Fiscal impact = $0

Crime scene assessment tools/resources do not exist at KCACC (see Criminal / Animal Cruelty Investigation Resources section, above). The necessary expenditure to obtain adequate tools and resources for 14 Animal Control Officers would be approximately $45,000.00

NOTE: this approximate figure DOES NOT including staffing costs for reviewing cases, video recording, and surveillance experts. Nor does this estimated expense assessment include facility costs for interview rooms (2 to 3 dedicated rooms) and holding cells – which have to meet OSHA and WISHA standards. 
The cost of this would be prohibitive.