If standards are not mandated, handlers and dogs may perform dismally and dangerously, putting citizens at unwarranted injury. Handlers who cannot control their dogs constitute a grave danger to the public and the concept of using dogs. The absence of standards, certification, and annual recertification is a disservice to the police. A standard is something established by authority, custom, or general consent as a model or example. It is intended to serve as a measure of quality.
Certification is the confirmation that one has met a standard.
Professor Chapman addresses the issue well and he is a recognized authority in the field of police canine programs. The costs of a membership, entry fees and two-day expenses of room and board that's pretty cheap insurance to assure your teams are proficient. Significant Cases Kerr v. City of West Palm Beach. This court stressed importance of continual training and strict performance monitoring system. It is, and it is more, but the certification shows Deliberate Attention to training and monitoring performance systems.