NCJ Number
116026
Journal
American Journal of Police Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: (1988) Pages: 123-131
Date Published
1988
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Data from 952 police vehicle pursuits conducted in Dade County (Fla.) during 1985-87 formed the basis of an analysis of the circumstances and outcomes of police pursuits.
Abstract
Findings showed that 63 percent of the pursuits involved only one police vehicle, and 68 percent lasted 5 minutes or less. Six hundred forty-six offenders (68 percent) were arrested, while 298 (31 percent) escaped and 7 (less than 1 percent) died. Five hundred twelve pursuits were initiated for traffic violations. Three hundred and ten pursuits ended in an accident. Results showed that police pursuits are infrequent and usually of short duration. They also usually involve relatively slow speeds, in that the top speed for nearly half the pursuits was less than 55 miles per hour. Most ended uneventfully, and the accidents resulting from pursuits accounted for about 1 percent of the total traffic accidents in the county for the period studied. In addition, 83 percent of the chases resulted in no personal injury. A bystander was injured in 1.4 percent of the chases, and a police officer was injured in less than 3 percent of the cases. Eight-seven percent of the injuries involved only minor scratches, cuts, and bruises. Results suggested the need to balance the level of risk involved in the pursuits against the deterrent effect of criminal apprehension and failed to support the view that police pursuits result in an unfavorable cost/benefit ratio. Tables and 4 references.