Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

Los Angeles, Going to the Dogs

Monday, March 13, 2023

Los Angeles, Going to the Dogs

La-la land: palm trees, swimming pools, movie stars, and hotbed of the follow- home crime surge,” in which victims in elite commercial and entertainment areas are tracked by criminal gangs to their homes or businesses.   

An analysis using publicly-available Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) data concluded that last year, overall crime in the city increased by 11.6% compared to 2021. Robberies were up, burglaries and break-ins increased by 15.4%, and there were more assaults reported in the city…than any year since at least 2010.” Another worrying trend was that certain crimes were more likely to be violent or involve the use of a weapon: 30.1% of all robberies in 2022 involved a gun, compared to 21.1% in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, and 41% of 2022 assaults were categorized as aggravated or assault with a deadly weapon.

Los Angelinos already jumpy about crime learned recently that the union for the LAPDs sworn officers was proposing that officers no longer respond to 28 kinds of 911 calls. While many of these could truthfully be handled effectively by non-police entities, the list also includes potentially risky calls about trespassing or loitering, non-criminal” individuals who appear drugged, intoxicated, or mentally disturbed, and so-called Code 30 Alarm Response” (alarms reported by an alarm company, other than robbery silent alarms).

The Los Angeles Times reports that some well-heeled residents are coping by acquiring the canine equivalent of James Bond – one or more high-performance protection dogs” that command eye-watering prices of upwards of $45,000 per dog. The animals are typically German shepherds, Belgian Malinois, Dobermans, cane corsos or a mix of those breeds.” A spokesperson for one security dog company describes their clientele as the upper 3[%] to 4% financially,” like pro athletes and other celebrities, top business executives, and the traditional affluent family.”

[H]omeowners who can afford it are being more proactive,” says the article. 

There’s reportedly no standard certification for dogs trained for personal security, though, and in any event, the article notes that buyers are encouraged to commit to ongoing “maintenance training” so that the dog remains appropriately responsive to threats. One supplier emphasizes that their German Shepherds (most expensive dog sold: $230K) “are good solid companions that take care of their family,” but are “not trained to kill – we don’t train killers – they’re trained to stop the threat.”

Others are opting for a different traditional method of proactive security. The FBIs NICS firearm background check numbers for California show a slight uptick in the first two months of this year (219,107) as compared to the same time last year (210,577). (NICS numbers dont correlate exactly to the number of firearms sold, but are broadly indicative of sale trends.)

Dogs are great, absolutely, but a reliable personal protection firearm is much less expensive than these high-end guard dogs. Upkeep for firearms is less demanding, and unlike a dog, theres zero chance that a firearm will run off to menace the UPS delivery man.   

For those who want the convenience of a machine that keeps the appealing doggy look, theres the quadruped unmanned ground vehicle,” a.k.a. Spot the robot dog (approx. $278K). On March 7, the Los Angeles City Council heard the publics thoughts on whether to accept the donation of a Boston Dynamics Spot robot for the LAPD SWAT team. The deputy police chief assured the council that Spot would, essentially, be a good dog. Under no circumstances would Spot be equipped with any type of weapon systems, whether lethal or less lethal, it will not be equipped with any type of facial recognition software, and will not be used for surveillance.”

While the police commission and the councils public safety committee were in favor of the move, residents at the meeting were largely opposed. This is not cute and friendly. Its just a killer robot,” said one attendee. The council decided to postpone the vote on the decision for 60 days, so that policies on the use of the robo-dog could be prepared when the items comes back on the agenda.     

Four-legged protection, mechanical or not, is certainly one choice for those that have the inclination and money. Others taking responsibility for their own safety can opt for a different kind of trustworthy companion.

TRENDING NOW
U.S. Court of Appeals Backtracks on Adverse Suppressor Ruling

News  

Monday, June 23, 2025

U.S. Court of Appeals Backtracks on Adverse Suppressor Ruling

In a single sentence, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit added to the high-profile and consequential national conversation on firearm suppressors.

U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

News  

Second Amendment  

Thursday, May 22, 2025

U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

Earlier today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.1 the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included Section 2 of the Hearing Protection Act, completely removing suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA).

2A News Out of New Jersey You Won’t Believe: It’s Actually a Good Thing!

News  

Monday, June 23, 2025

2A News Out of New Jersey You Won’t Believe: It’s Actually a Good Thing!

The Garden State is not where most seek positive developments regarding our right to arms, so we were pleasantly surprised when Englishtown, N.J., recently made a move to support the Second Amendment.

Switched Off: A Case Study on Minnesota’s Illegal Machine Gun Law

News  

Monday, June 23, 2025

Switched Off: A Case Study on Minnesota’s Illegal Machine Gun Law

There’s been a lot of noise of late about auto sears or so-called “Glock switches” – devices to convert a semiautomatic firearm into an automatic weapon. 

Update: Washington Post Fact Checks Misleading Ad Council “Children” and Firearms Talking Point

News  

Monday, June 23, 2025

Update: Washington Post Fact Checks Misleading Ad Council “Children” and Firearms Talking Point

Last week, NRA-ILA explained how a recent public service announcement campaign from the federally-funded Ad Council, and the gun control lobby more broadly, manipulates statistics to create misleading talking points about “children” and firearms.

DOJ Files Amicus Brief Supporting NRA-Backed Challenge to IL’s Ban on “Assault Weapons” and “Large-Capacity Magazines”

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

DOJ Files Amicus Brief Supporting NRA-Backed Challenge to IL’s Ban on “Assault Weapons” and “Large-Capacity Magazines”

Last Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice filed an amicus brief in the Seventh Circuit supporting an NRA-backed challenge to Illinois’s prohibition on so-called “assault weapons” and “large-capacity magazines.”

Ninth Circuit Strikes Down CA’s One-Gun-A-Month Law

Friday, June 20, 2025

Ninth Circuit Strikes Down CA’s One-Gun-A-Month Law

Today, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that California’s law prohibiting people from buying more than one firearm in a 30-day period violates the Second Amendment.

Gun-Control Window Dressing: Chicago Inspector-General Calls Out Futility of Gun Offender Registry

News  

Monday, June 16, 2025

Gun-Control Window Dressing: Chicago Inspector-General Calls Out Futility of Gun Offender Registry

Fifteen years ago, the City of Chicago adopted a “gun offender registry” ordinance that requires convicted gun offenders to register with the police and have police monitor anyone listed in the registry. 

Minnesota: Shotgun-Only Hunting Zones Repealed

Friday, June 20, 2025

Minnesota: Shotgun-Only Hunting Zones Repealed

On Monday, June 9th, outside of regular session, the Senate passed the Environment Omnibus bill, removing shotgun-only hunting zones in the state. 

Rhode Island: Legislature Passes Semi-Auto Ban

Sunday, June 22, 2025

Rhode Island: Legislature Passes Semi-Auto Ban

After years of showing up at the Statehouse in huge numbers fighting against a drastic semi-auto ban, gun owners were rightfully upset when the Legislature finally pushed an amended version across the finish line to ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.