High speed chases: should the police continue them?

[Radar Chief]

It started with this.

http://www.kmbz.com/Driver-killed-af...chase/18166251
Posted: Monday, 13 January 2014 1:30PM

Driver killed after high-speed police chase

A police chase involving Independence police ended in a deadly wreck in Kansas City on Monday morning.

Kansas City police say Independence police had been involved in a high-speed chase with a silver vehicle, after an officer saw the car speeding. The officer reportedly ended the chase at 23rd and Wheeling Avenue, but came upon the wreck at 23rd and Hardesty. The suspect car had crashed into a second car just after 10:30 a.m. The driver of the second vehicle was killed and two passengers were seriously injured in the wreck.

The driver who was involved in the chase has been taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries.

Listening to political talk radio it went from there to blaming the police for continuing to chase a guy that obviously wasn’t pulling over. Then this morning I see this article.

http://www.kmbz.com/pages/18171922.p...entId=14529141
Posted: Tuesday, 14 January 2014 4:54AM

Questions remain about the Independence police chase policy

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - A Kansas City attorney says Independence Police need to make some big changes.

Sean Pickett represented a family who lost it's teenage son struck, by a suspect in a chase along Noland Road in 2007. He says Independence Police have a reputation for high speed pursuits, even for minor infractions.

"A lot of it has to do historically with some of the crimes that they've been trying to fight over the years, but they still have to adapt crime enforcement to safety for the public. Which I don't think they've done a good job at," says Pickett.

Pickett says lots of Independence officers want the policy changed. The non-profit group, 'Pursuit Safety,' claims over 90% of police chases nationwide are for non-violent crimes and at least 35% end with crashes.

So what is the Planets take, should police continue chasing someone who’s only known crime is speeding or should they back off and let the chips fall where they may?

[Eleazar]

Why wouldn't everyone run, then?

[Demonpenz]

Who the **** would want to be a cop if you could never do cool shit.

[Bowser]

I think it depends on the venue. Highly populate residential areas aren't safe for the high speed chase. Get on the radio and coordinate with other officers in the area. Highways are a different matter. JMO.

[Dartgod]

Back off.

[Radar Chief]

Originally Posted by Cochise

Why wouldn't everyone run, then?

Exactly. At one time KCPD, on the Kansas side I think, had orders not to chase motorcycles.
Motorcycle Drag Racing buddy told me about it and it apparently stemmed from an issue similar to this case where the cops started to pull a kid on a motorcycle over, he ran and ended up wrapping his bike, and himself, around a light pole.
The result was the bikers lost all respect for the cops, would run around doing whatever shenanigans they wanted knowing that when the cops showed up all they had to do was pin the throttle, scatter and the cops couldn’t chase them.

[philfree]

I'm surprised there isn't a GPS chip installed in license plates by now. Or the inspection sticker. On new cars maybe the VIN plate has one in it. Or the keys! Don't need to chase them just track'em by satellite.

[loochy]

Yes, continue them.

They are very entertaining when the local news follows along.

[beach tribe]

I love how the cops claim to have stopped pursuit before the crash......right.

[Dunerdr]

If I'm ever a millionaire and get diagnosed with a life ending disease the first mother ****ing thing ill do is get in a high speed pursuit. When brought to justice ill spread my money even sly between the officers that chased me and people put directly In harms way. Or I'll buy my way out and try again it seems like it's be fun as ****.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by Bowser

I think it depends on the venue. Highly populate residential areas aren't safe for the high speed chase. Get on the radio and coordinate with other officers in the area. Highways are a different matter. JMO.

This + they need to consider the crime, fleeing the liquor store with a case of beer and a carton of smokes?

Let'em go for now.

[Dunit35]

Originally Posted by Bowser

I think it depends on the venue. Highly populate residential areas aren't safe for the high speed chase. Get on the radio and coordinate with other officers in the area. Highways are a different matter. JMO.

It always depends on the circumstances. Roads aren't safe, lots of traffic, pedestrians, etc. If all of that criteria isn't good then it gets cancelled pretty quick.

Only pursuit I've been in so far involved a moron illegal immigrant not turning his headlights on. The entire chase went about 10-15 blocks at a whopping 35-40 mph.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

I love how the cops claim to have stopped pursuit before the crash......right.

Well...they didn't pursue him into the tree, did they?

[Rain Man]

It's a no-win situation. You're picking the least bad option. I think if you say, "no chases ever", crime will get worse, and if you say, "we'll always chase", it creates danger. I think you have to have a policy of chasing and then break it off at a certain subjective level of danger.

Of course, drones will eliminate chases in the long run.

[BWillie]

I dont think they should. I also dont think ppl should pull over on the side of the side of the hwy when they get nailed for speeding. That is a big accident waiting to happen.