Complaints relating to people bitten by police dogs from April 2024 to March 2025

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.25.048709

I note you seek access to the following information:

I submit this request for specific information regarding complaints about the deployment of police dogs in the Metropolitan Police area of responsibility, during the 2024/25 financial year.

1. Copies of (up to) 10 written complaints filed to your police force in relation to instances where a person was bitten by one of your force's police dogs.
2. Please provide a copy of the report(s) written by the police dog handler - in which they document the decisions and rationale for how they deployed and handled their dog - after each of the incidents which sparked the complaints disclosed in response to question 1. I understand these reports are usually known as police dog deployment reports, but if another type of document was used to record these details (such as an email) please provide this.
3. For each complaint disclosed in response to Q1, please specify if the complaint has been referred to the (IOPC) Independent Office for Police Conduct.
4. For each complaint disclosed in response to Q1, please specify the name of the police dog(s) which bit or allegedly bit an individual.
5. Please specify the outcome of each complaint disclosed in response to Q1.

Decision

I have today decided to disclose some of the requested information. Some data has been withheld as it is exempt from disclosure and therefore this response serves as a Refusal Notice under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) by virtue of the following exemptions:

Section 30(1) (a) Criminal Investigations
Section 31(1) (a)(b) Law Enforcement
Section 40(2) (3A) (a) Personal Information

Disclosure

Q1 - Copies of (up to) 10 written complaints filed to your police force in relation to instances where a person was bitten by one of your force's police dogs.

For the requested period, 41 complaints were identified which relate to the MPS Dog Support Unit. 5 of these relate to persons bitten by MPS police dogs. Please see below spreadsheet.

Q2 - Please provide a copy of the report(s) written by the police dog handler - in which they document the decisions and rationale for how they deployed and handled their dog - after each of the incidents which sparked the complaints disclosed in response to question 1. I understand these reports are usually known as police dog deployment reports, but if another type of document was used to record these details (such as an email) please provide this.

As mentioned above, an officer who deploys a police dog will record their decision making in a MG11 (Witness Statement) as this is their original notes in statement form. These reports are witness statements and are fully exempt exempt under S40(2), S30(1) and S31(1).

Q3 - For each complaint disclosed in response to Q1, please specify if the complaint has been referred to the (IOPC) Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Please see below spreadsheet.

Q4 - For each complaint disclosed in response to Q1, please specify the name of the police dog(s) which bit or allegedly bit an individual.

PD Bamboocha Hugo Ziggy
PD Teddy
PD Bamboocha Hugo Ziggy
PD Nessy Jessie
PD Avenger Brady Logan

Q5 - Please specify the outcome of each complaint disclosed in response to Q1.

Please see below spreadsheet