Accessibility menu
State Representative Tony Cornish
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4240
For more information contact: Jason Wenisch 651-296-2317
NEWS RELEASE
REP. CORNISH AUTHORS BILL STRENGTHENING PENALTIES AGAINST CRIMINALS THAT KILL OR INJURE POLICE DOGS
ST. PAUL – Recognizing the increased usage of police dogs in fighting crime, as well as the amount of resources and training required to put the animal on the police force, State Representative Tony Cornish (R-Good Thunder) is authoring legislation that increases penalties on those who harm or kill a public safety dog.
“A service dog is an expensive resource for a police department to protect, and there’s no doubt his handler establishes a special bond with the dog throughout their years together on the force,” Cornish said. “It’s time for criminals to realize that if they try to take out a police dog, they are going to face a significant punishment.”
Cornish’s bill maintains a maximum felony two-year prison sentence for a person who kills a service dog, and would extend that definition to include causing “great bodily harm” to the animal. Cornish said great bodily harm is defined as an injury creating likely death, serious disfigurement, or impairment of a bone or bodily organ.
It would also force a convicted criminal to pay up to $15,000 in restitution, which may be used to cover the costs and expenses resulting from the crime - including the care and treatment of the injured dog and the purchase and training of a replacement dog.
In addition, Cornish’s legislation creates a gross misdemeanor crime of causing “demonstrable bodily harm to a service dog, punishable by a $5,000 fine.
“It is so expensive for a department to invest time, training, and schooling for a service dog,” Cornish said. “Because the dog requires such intensive, specialized care, it’s important for law enforcement to know that criminals who harmed their dogs will be forced to pay for their treatment or for the training of a new animal.”
News Items
- REP. CORNISH ANNOUNCES REDISTRICTING PLAN - (Posted: 2012-02-23 00:00:00)
- REP. CORNISH INVESTIGATES LACK OF TRIBAL CASINO GAMBLING ENFORCEMENT - (Posted: 2012-02-02 00:00:00)
- REP. CORNISH AUTHORS FAMILIAL DNA PROPOSAL - (Posted: 2011-04-14 00:00:00)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.