Policing (Killing a Police Dog) Amendment Bill

Policing (Killing a Police Dog) Amendment Bill EXPLANATORY NOTE GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT The purpose of this Bill is to amend the Policing Act 2008 to increase the penalty for killing a police dog, from a maximum of 2 years to a maximum of 5 years imprisonment. Currently under section 53 of the Policing Act 2008 (Killing or injuring Police dogs), the penalty for anyone who intentionally kills, maims, wounds, or otherwise injures a police dog without lawful authority or reasonable excuse faces up to 2 years in jail, or a fine of up to $15,000, or both. This penalty is lenient compared to other jurisdictions. For killing a police dog the following penalties for imprisonment are in place: United States up to 10 years, Canada up to 5 years, and South Australia up to 5 years. CLAUSE BY CLAUSE ANALYSIS Clause 1 is the title clause. Clause 2 is the commencement clause. It provides that this Bill comes into force on the day after the date on which it receives the Royal assent. Clause 3 provides that the Bill amends the Policing Act 2008 (the principal Act ). Clause 4 replaces section 53 of the Policing Act 2008 with two separate offences: one of killing a Police dog, which is subject to a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment, and a separate offence of injuring a Police dog with a maximum penalty of 2 years’ imprisonment. The Parliament of New Zealand enacts as follows: 1 Title This Act is the Policing (Killing a Police Dog) Amendment Act 2021 . 2 Commencement This Act comes into force on the day after the date on which this Act receives the Royal assent. 3 Principal Act This Act amends the Policing Act 2008 (the principal Act ). 4 Section 53 replaced (Killing or injuring Police dogs) Replace section 53 with: 53 Killing Police dogs A person who intentionally kills a Police dog without lawful authority or reasonable excuse commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or a fine not exceeding $15,000, or both. 53A Injuring Police dogs A person who intentionally maims, wounds, or otherwise injures a Police dog without lawful authority or reasonable excuse commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or a fine not exceeding $15,000, or both.