A new report by the U.S. Department of Justice has urged law enforcement agencies to limit high-speed chases to only violent crimes or imminent threats, after finding that they cause a high number of deaths and injuries, especially to innocent bystanders.
The report, which was released on Tuesday, is based on a review of more than 8,000 police pursuits from 2015 to 2020 across 41 agencies in the U.S. and Canada. It was conducted by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), a nonprofit organization that provides research and policy guidance to police leaders.
The report found that high-speed chases resulted in 139 deaths and 1,378 injuries, with 30% of the fatalities and 42% of the injuries involving people who were not involved in the pursuit, such as pedestrians, cyclists, or other drivers. The report also found that most pursuits were initiated for minor offenses, such as traffic violations, stolen vehicles, or fleeing from police, and that only 18% of the pursuits resulted in an arrest.
“We’re not saying don’t chase. We’re saying chase smarter,” said Chuck Wexler, executive director of PERF, in a press release. “The reality is that most pursuits are not worth the risk.”
The report recommends that law enforcement agencies should adopt stricter policies and training for initiating and terminating pursuits, as well as using technology and alternative tactics to apprehend suspects. One of the suggestions is that officers should slow down and turn off their lights when chasing a suspect, as this will reduce the risk to the public and the suspect will likely drive normally within two miles.
“We have to balance our responsibility to enforce the law with our responsibility to protect life,” said Chief Art Acevedo of the Miami Police Department, who endorsed the report.
The report also highlights the need for more data collection and analysis on police pursuits, as well as more collaboration and coordination among different agencies and jurisdictions.
The report comes amid growing public scrutiny and criticism of police practices and use of force in the U.S., following several high-profile cases of police killings and brutality against Black people. Some of these cases involved high-speed chases that ended tragically, such as the case of Leden Boykins, a 12-year-old passenger who died in a crash in Georgia in March, after a driver who refused to show his license led police on a chase.
“I don’t want another parent to go through what I’m going through,” said Latoya Brown, Boykins’ mother, in an interview with NBC News.
The report acknowledges that police pursuits are a complex and challenging issue that requires careful judgment and discretion by officers. It also recognizes that some pursuits are necessary and justified, such as when there is a clear and immediate danger to public safety or when there is no other way to stop a violent offender.
“It’s a very difficult decision for an officer to make in a split second. You don’t want to let a bad guy get away, but you also don’t want to put anyone in danger,” said Sgt. Ann Mathieu of the Connecticut State Police, who participated in the study.
The report hopes to provide guidance and best practices for law enforcement agencies to improve their policies and procedures on police pursuits, and ultimately to reduce the harm and loss of life that they can cause.
“Police pursuits are one of the most dangerous activities that officers engage in,” said Jim Burch, president of the National Police Foundation, another nonprofit organization that supports the report. “We owe it to our officers and our communities to do everything we can to make them safer.”
Relevant articles:
– New report recommends limiting police pursuits to violent crimes after rise in fatalities, MSN, 9/21/2023
– Police Pursuits: New Report Recommends Limiting Chases to Violent Crimes, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, 9/21/2023
– New report urges police to limit high-speed chases, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/21/2023
– Report urges limited police pursuits in the US to reduce fatalities and risk, Fox News, 9/19/2023