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PROPOSED ORDINANCE
WHEREAS Cook County law enforcement canines are vital to the public safety of Cook County residents; Whereas: Cook County law enforcement canines perform important and essential duties that include, but not limited to: conducting building searches, searching and finding suspects and offenders, locating missing persons, performing article and evidence searches, detecting drugs and explosives, and conducting public service demonstrations;
WHEREAS Due to the abilities of well-trained law enforcement canines and their significant value to comprehensive public safety practices, Cook County Government utilizes law enforcement canines within the Cook County Sherriff’s Police Department, the Cook County Sherriff’s Court Services Department, and the Cook County Sherriff’s Department of Corrections.
WHEREAS Law enforcement canines that perform official public safety duties for Cook County are required to be certified to perform such duties and must be documented as receiving on-going professional training as well as maintain exceptional physical and mental health.
WHEREAS Even though law enforcement canines are required to maintain exceptional levels of health, productivity and performance, as law enforcement canines become older their ability to perform their duties declines and become more difficult;
WHEREAS Due to the inevitable decline of health, productivity, and performance that law enforcement canines experience because of age it is in the best interest of the Cook County law enforcement units that utilize canines to implement a mandatory retirement age for active-duty canines.
WHEREAS It is also in the best interest of the Cook County law enforcement units that utilize canines to adopt standardized best practices to ensure that its canines are well trained and in exceptional health.
Now, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED, by the Cook County Board of Commissioners, that Chapter 46, Law Enforcement, Article I., Section 46-6 of the Cook County Code is hereby enacted as follows:
Sec. 46-6. Mandatory retirement age of law enforcement canines.
(a) mandatory retirement age of a law enforcement canine shall be upon its 10th birthday.
(b) all veterinarians, trainers, and handlers of all law enforcement canines must be licensed, certified, and in good standing with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board.
(c) all law enforcement canines should be trained 16-24 hours a month by a trainer; and
(d) all law enforcement canines should be evaluated every 6 months by a veterinarian; and
(e) all law enforcement canines should receive vaccines annually by a veterinarian; and
(f) when a law enforcement canine turns five years of age, the canine should be proactively treated for the health of their joints and bones with the appropriate supplements; and
(g) in the case that a law enforcement canine is removed from active duty, each law enforcement canine must have documented approval by both a veterinarian and its handler in order to be placed back on active duty; and failure to do so will result in retirement for the canine; and
(h) law enforcement canines with major surgeries or health conditions such as, but not limited to back, heart, kidney, and cancer, or injuries that cannot positively be corrected by surgery, than the canine will be retired automatically; and
(i) Cook County owned law enforcement canines will not be used for secondary employment;
(j) Cook County owned canine use during Cook County Department-sanctioned special duty will be authorized on an individual basis by the Department Head or designee; and
(k) Cook County owned law enforcement canines will not be used for breeding purposes.
(l) Upon retirement, the handler of a Cook County owned canine will receive a mandatory $500.00 stipend annually for the purpose of maintaining the health and fitness of the canine.
Effective date: This ordinance shall be in effect immediately upon adoption
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