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Strategic Enforcement Plan 1. Purpose EFFECTIVE DATE: March 1, 1998 PURPOSE This plan was drafted pursuant to the 1998 Seattle City Council Budget Statement of Legislative Intent in which one (1) additional Humane Law Enforcement Officer was added to Seattle Animal Shelter’s budget for the purpose of providing additional enforcement and education in Seattle’s parks. The purpose of such a plan is to set policy guidelines and outline Seattle Animal Shelter’s approach towards enforcement and educational activities in Seattle’s parks and neighborhoods. The proposed 1998 budget included two (2) additional Humane Law Enforcement Officers (for a total of 4 officers) for this purpose, but decrements were needed to help fund Medic One for 1998. In 1999, the second Humane Law Enforcement Officer was funded and that person was hired mid-year. Due to budget reductions sustained in 2003, the enforcement staff allocated to providing enforcement support in Seattle’s parks was reduced by 50%. In 2006, the budget for enforcement support in Seattle’s parks was restored. There are currently 4 officers allocated to parks enforcement. BACKGROUND Seattle Animal Shelter’s mission is: “To provide a safe, healthy and caring environment where animals and people can co-exist.” To fulfill this mission, Shelter staff provide the following: 1) enforces animal-related ordinances fairly and equitably; 2) identifies and licenses as many pets as possible through an aggressive pet licensing program; 3) educates the public regarding responsible pet ownership; 4) cares for the City’s stray and unwanted animals; 5) adopts as many animals as possible to suitable homes; and 6) administers a low-cost spay and neuter program. Seattle Animal Shelter was created in 1972. At that time, enforcement staff provided 24-hour coverage and consisted of approximately twenty (20) Humane Law Enforcement Officers utilizing eleven (11) trucks. Currently, the Enforcement Unit is comprised of fifteen (15) Humane Law Enforcement Officers utilizing six (6) trucks and two (2) other vehicles. Two enforcement officers (98 hours/week) are assigned as radio dispatchers with one person dispatching full-time and rotating the remaining dispatching duties among the other enforcement officers to assure this vital communication link is staffed 7 days a week. One enforcement officer is assigned the role as Pet License Compliance Officer to focus on increasing the number of identified pets in Seattle. The Enforcement Unit operates approximately 14 hours a day, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., 7 days per week. During non-business hours and holidays, citizens are directed to call 911 to report life-threatening situations involving humans or animals. Duties of an enforcement officer include: enforcing animal control ordinances (leash law, cruelty violations, scoop law, animal noise, vicious/dangerous animals); picking up stray, sick and injured animals; trapping nuisance animals; educating the public regarding responsible pet ownership; enforcing pet licensing laws and selling pet licenses; investigating animal bites and placing bite animals under quarantine; serving court summons and search warrants; testifying in court; writing reports; and assisting Seattle Police Department, Seattle Fire Department, the Health Department, Washington State Wildlife and other governmental agencies as needed. Duties also include enforcement of that portion of the Seattle Municipal Code governing animal nuisances in Seattle’s parks such as the leash law and scoop law. Seattle Animal Shelter receives approximately 18,000 complaints or requests for service annually. Over the course of the last several years, enforcement officers have taken on the added responsibility of picking up injured and assisting with nuisance wildlife. They respond to calls for assistance with sick, injured, deceased or beached marine mammals because Federal and/or State agencies either no longer provide these services or could not meet the citizen’s demand for service in a timely manner. With amendments to the Seattle Municipal Code pertaining to parks and the creation of off-leash areas in Seattle in 1996 (permanently in 1997) and continued expansion of the off-leash area program, enforcement officers are now expected to vigorously patrol all parks to ensure appropriate use of both the off-leash and on-leash areas. METHODOLOGY IN DEVELOPING AN ENFORCEMENT PLAN
DUTIES AND PRIORITIES In determining enforcement priorities, several factors are taken into consideration such as public safety, animal safety and available personnel resources. The following is a list of some of those services provided by the enforcement staff which is considered priorities: Vicious & Dangerous Animal/Bites: Immediately responding to reports that an animal has either bitten a person or is menacing the public. Animal Cruelty: Checking on the health and well being of animals reportedly being neglected or physically abused. Responding to Requests for Service: Enforcing animal-related ordinances; investigating complaints (leash law, noise, scoop etc.), impounding stray and surrendered animals, picking up dead animals from public and private property; and providing customer assistance and service. Park Patrols: Promote the importance of the leash law, scoop law and pet licensing through a combination of enforcement and education in both off-leash parks and on-leash areas. Patrolling for Stray Animals: Impounding stray animals before they can become a threat to the public or to themselves on city streets or in parks. Writing Citations and Testifying in Court: Officers will write infraction notices to owners of animals which they observe in violation of animal-related ordinances; record what they witnessed, and testify in court when subpoenaed. Public Education: Taking a proactive approach in teaching and encouraging responsible pet ownership by setting up informational booths at parks and community events; making presentations at schools, neighborhood centers and other highly-visible community groups; disseminating humane education information through pamphlets, brochures, as well as print and visual media. Pet Identification: Sell pet licenses to the animal-owning citizens of Seattle; facilitate the pet license acquisition process. ENFORCEMENT TACTICS The Communications Team is comprised of two (2) full time officers (approximately 98 hours/week) and is responsible for maintaining communications with both the Neighborhood and Parks Team; monitoring the emergency line between Seattle Police Department and Seattle Animal Shelter; coordinating Seattle Police Department response; tracking and monitoring the officers’ locations and initiating action that promotes officer safety. In addition, the Communications Team also takes requests for service and complaints from the public via telephone during normal office hours, evenings and weekends; helps keep statistics regarding the officer’s daily activities, etc. The Neighborhood Team is comprised of eight (8) full time officers assigned to work in five geographical areas of Seattle (Northwest, Northeast, Central, Southeast, and Southwest.) This team is responsible for picking up stray, surrendered, vicious/dangerous and dead animals; investigating animal bites, nuisance animals and other animal-related complaints; promoting pet identification through pet license sales; providing support for other agencies and other related duties as needed. This team will also coordinate efforts with the Parks Patrol Team by conducting emphasis patrols or “sweeps” of larger, more heavily used parks for animal code violators when a need arises. The Parks Patrol Team is comprised of four (4) full time officers and they are assigned to provide enforcement and education exclusively in Seattle’s parks. Daily duties include patrolling parks to promote compliance of all animal-related ordinances by:
The License Compliance Officer is assigned the task of promoting pet license awareness and coordinating related enforcement activities with both the Neighborhood Team and Parks Team. The two Enforcement Supervisors will continue to provide support both in the shelter and field by being on staff and available 7 days a week. DEPLOYMENT METHODS Neighborhood Team: This team will be deployed in different geographical areas on a daily basis based on need and the available staffing resources for a given day. The Neighborhood Team is expected to increase their visibility in neighborhoods by completing investigative reports and related paperwork in different neighborhood parks within their jurisdiction, often parks that are within close proximity. When requested to do so, the officer assigned to a particular geographical area will meet the Parks Patrol Team to conduct an emphasis patrol(s) of larger, more heavily used parks in that area. If the officer assigned to a given area for the day is unable work in that area due to courtroom appearances, sick leave, vacation, etc., other members of the Neighborhood Team will cover that geographical area as needed or overtime will be assigned to meet the demand for service. Only in emergency situations or unforeseen circumstances will members of the Parks Patrol Team be reassigned to assist the Neighborhood Team. Parks Patrol Team: Members of this team will be deployed on a daily basis to concentrate on larger, more heavily used parks in a given geographical area or those parks determined by citizens or the Parks Department to be most in need of enforcement. Officers will be sporadically deployed in the early morning hours or late evening hours outside of normal operating hours as a method to contact violators that take advantage of the fact that the Seattle Animal Shelter does not operate 24 hours a day. Such deployment will occur as needed. The Parks Team will utilize marked and unmarked City vehicles, Parks Department vehicles, and mountain bicycles and may occasionally conduct enforcement activities while in civilian clothing. The Parks Patrol Team will also assist the Neighborhood Team in conducting “sweeps” of problem neighborhoods for loose dogs and leash law violators. ENFORCEMENT GUIDELINES Humane Law Enforcement Officers maintain a Special Police Commission issued through the Seattle Police Department which enables them to enforce all animal-related ordinances within the City of Seattle. Citations are not only a basic tool of enforcement to gain compliance but also serve as an educational tool as well. In 2004, the Seattle Animal Shelter adopted a “zero tolerance policy” related to leash law, scoop law and pet license enforcement. As a result of this policy, officers are instructed to issue citations to anyone in violation of the Seattle Municipal Code as it pertains to leash law enforcement, scoop law enforcement and pet license compliance. The following are some general guidelines to be used by both the Neighborhood Team and the Park Patrol Team to ensure that enforcement activities are conducted in a manner that is fair and equitable to all citizens. A Citation shall be issued for violations including leash law, scoop law and pet licensing. A citation shall also be issued for other related animal-related violations when a pet owner:
A Park Exclusion Notice shall be issued in addition to a citation when the violator:
Except for violations of leash law, scoop law, licensing laws or other circumstances outlined above, a Warning may be issued, at the discretion of the officer, if the following conditions are met and the violator:
PUBLIC EDUCATION Gaining voluntary compliance is the goal of any effective enforcement program. In order to achieve this, the public must be knowledgeable not only of ordinances but of the consequences of noncompliance as well. Both the Neighborhood Team and Park Patrol Team will disseminate information regarding responsible pet ownership by:
PERFORMANCE MEASURES One of Seattle Animal Shelter’s top priorities is to attempt to reduce animal-related violations in Seattle City Parks and achieve an increase in voluntary compliance. This goal will be achieved by coordination with the Parks Department, vigorous enforcement in City parks, public education, and positive reinforcement for responsible pet owners who abide by the law. In order to determine the effectiveness of this enforcement plan, the following measures will be taken and/or considered: Qualitative
Quantitative Seattle Animal Shelter will track, at a minimum, the following statistics and provide this information to the Mayor’s Office, City Council, Executive Staff and citizens when requested to do so:
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