NCJ Number
191113
Journal
Campus Law Enforcement Journal Volume: 30 Issue: 6 Dated: November/December 2000 Pages: 13-20-36
Date Published
November 2000
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This article examines police vehicular pursuits.
Abstract
High-speed pursuits are a subject of considerable controversy in police organizations and among the public, in part because of the possible consequences of a high-speed chase. Police officers engaging in vehicular pursuits are influenced by a well-articulated pursuit policy and procedure, the amount of training received, and the command supervision of the department. When an innocent civilian is injured or killed as a consequence of a police pursuit incident, many persons believe the police should be held accountable and they sue the police department, because it has the greatest financial resources from which the victim can be paid. In examining police pursuits, the court considered four broad categories of factors to decide whether there was negligent operation of a police vehicle: (1) justification for the chase; (2) the actual physical operation of the vehicle; (3) circumstances surrounding the operation; and (4) departmental considerations. The article recommends training officers in proper operation of police vehicles during high-speed pursuits, analyzing previous incidents to learn from earlier mistakes or problems, and encouraging officers to not allow their desire to apprehend a fleeing motorist to interfere with their duty to protect the public. References