INDEPENDENCE, MO – A police department out of Missouri shared proposed policy updates to their respective city council pertaining to police pursuits earlier in March, with the police chief reportedly suggesting officers limit pursuits to instances of dangerous felonies or immediate threats presented by the subjects of would-be pursuits.
On March 9th, Chief Doug Brinkley of the Independence Police Department (IPD) shared data pertaining to the department’s pursuit policy with the Independence City Council, reportedly in a bid to garner feedback from the council regarding ongoing efforts to improve policy.
The city council in question doesn’t dictate policy for IPD, thus the governing body didn’t hold any kind of vote on the matter when presented the data by Chief Brinkley.
During the city council meeting, Chief Brinkley admitted that the department “has a comprehensive policy, but application and supervisory review requires improvement,” noting the clear delineations when pursuits should be terminated such as when the pursuit presents a greater danger than the need for immediate apprehension of a suspect.
Another topic brought up by Chief Brinkley was a potential reinvestment in the StarChase GPS technology, as he reportedly said the department’s current equipment is outdated. The aforesaid technology is a vehicle mounted GPS launcher that allows officers an alternative to high-speed pursuits, as the tracker can be launched from the front-end of a cruiser and attach itself to a suspect vehicle, allowing suspects to be tracked at a safer distance.
In closing, Chief Brinkley highlighted that the proposed amendments to limiting pursuits aligns with policies adopted by police departments across the nation as well as neighboring departments out of Kansas City, Lee’s Summit and Blue Springs.
As previously reported in Law Enforcement Today, scrutiny regarding police pursuits has been a topical matter of debate and policy restructuring in cities across the country. Many of the policy prescriptions adopted by departments and agencies in recent years have leaned heavily toward terminating pursuits regarding non-violent and/or low-level offenses when accounting for the public safety concerns that arise from high-speed pursuits.
On March 9th, Chief Doug Brinkley of the Independence Police Department (IPD) shared data pertaining to the department’s pursuit policy with the Independence City Council, reportedly in a bid to garner feedback from the council regarding ongoing efforts to improve policy.
The city council in question doesn’t dictate policy for IPD, thus the governing body didn’t hold any kind of vote on the matter when presented the data by Chief Brinkley.
During the city council meeting, Chief Brinkley admitted that the department “has a comprehensive policy, but application and supervisory review requires improvement,” noting the clear delineations when pursuits should be terminated such as when the pursuit presents a greater danger than the need for immediate apprehension of a suspect.
Another topic brought up by Chief Brinkley was a potential reinvestment in the StarChase GPS technology, as he reportedly said the department’s current equipment is outdated. The aforesaid technology is a vehicle mounted GPS launcher that allows officers an alternative to high-speed pursuits, as the tracker can be launched from the front-end of a cruiser and attach itself to a suspect vehicle, allowing suspects to be tracked at a safer distance.
In closing, Chief Brinkley highlighted that the proposed amendments to limiting pursuits aligns with policies adopted by police departments across the nation as well as neighboring departments out of Kansas City, Lee’s Summit and Blue Springs.
As previously reported in Law Enforcement Today, scrutiny regarding police pursuits has been a topical matter of debate and policy restructuring in cities across the country. Many of the policy prescriptions adopted by departments and agencies in recent years have leaned heavily toward terminating pursuits regarding non-violent and/or low-level offenses when accounting for the public safety concerns that arise from high-speed pursuits.
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