Police reform has long been a topic of conversation. In recent years, we have seen increased efforts in the refining of police tactics such as banning or limiting use of excessive force and requiring body cameras. Nationwide, many law enforcement and state agencies have even imposed restrictions on police pursuits in the name of protecting officers and civilians.
“Policing experts suggest that legislative changes nationwide have been influenced by various factors, such as political pressure or high-profile incidents. They expressed doubt that allowing more high-speed chases would significantly lower crime,” Stateline reported.
This, is in response to jurisdictions like Washington State, Florida, the District of Columbia, and San Francisco pulling back some police pursuit restrictions in the past twelve months. In contrast, Hawaii is looking to tighten the pursuit standards, making them more restrictive statewide, and the state of Michigan has restricted pursuits all together.
Former law enforcement officers, along with experts on policing, agree that there needs to be a balance between public protection from traffic accidents and taking “potentially violent suspects” into custody.
Jacinta Gau, a University of Central Florida criminal justice professor as well as a police-community relations expert, said, “Most people comply with the police voluntarily anyway, and most people are probably not aware of their local agencies’ pursuit policies. I don’t think it would have an appreciable impact on any sorts of crime.”
“It’s a very delicate balance. One of the things that chiefs or policymakers have to take into consideration as it relates to [pursuits] is what harm happens is he person is not caught right then… And then there’s also the victim’s perspective,” former Atlanta police chief Rodney Bryant said.
As of the middle of March 2024, Michigan State Police is restricting pursuits to “situations in which troopers have probable cause to believe the driver or occupant of a fleeing vehicle has committed a violent or life-threatening felony.”
Florida, on the other hand, has loosened their pursuit policy. Policy that previously restricted pursuits to DUIs, felony offenses, or reckless driving now allows more discretion by officers to initiate pursuit. Additionally, troopers are now allowed to drive in the wrong direction and on the wrong side of the road if needed. They also no longer have to follow posted speed limits and are authorized to participate in pursuits on motorcycles.
“While many states shy away from holding dangerous felons accountable for their decisions, the Florida Highway Patrol seeks to use every tool and tactic available to ensure dangerous felons end up in jail and off our streets,” the Florida Highway Patrol said in a statement.
A report from the Council on Criminal Justice earlier this year shows that most categories of crimes “appear to be reverting toward pre-pandemic levels.”
Nonetheless, some jurisdictions continue to see upticks in specific types of crime. For example, Washington State has seen violent crime rise from 335.7 incidents per 100,000 people in 2022 to 375.6 incidents per 100,000 people. This is just barely below the national rate of 380.7 incidents per 100,000 people, the FBI reports.
With truly limited data on crashes and fatalities related to police pursuits, it can be difficult to find where the true middle place is on this subject.
“Policing experts suggest that legislative changes nationwide have been influenced by various factors, such as political pressure or high-profile incidents. They expressed doubt that allowing more high-speed chases would significantly lower crime,” Stateline reported.
This, is in response to jurisdictions like Washington State, Florida, the District of Columbia, and San Francisco pulling back some police pursuit restrictions in the past twelve months. In contrast, Hawaii is looking to tighten the pursuit standards, making them more restrictive statewide, and the state of Michigan has restricted pursuits all together.
Former law enforcement officers, along with experts on policing, agree that there needs to be a balance between public protection from traffic accidents and taking “potentially violent suspects” into custody.
Jacinta Gau, a University of Central Florida criminal justice professor as well as a police-community relations expert, said, “Most people comply with the police voluntarily anyway, and most people are probably not aware of their local agencies’ pursuit policies. I don’t think it would have an appreciable impact on any sorts of crime.”
“It’s a very delicate balance. One of the things that chiefs or policymakers have to take into consideration as it relates to [pursuits] is what harm happens is he person is not caught right then… And then there’s also the victim’s perspective,” former Atlanta police chief Rodney Bryant said.
As of the middle of March 2024, Michigan State Police is restricting pursuits to “situations in which troopers have probable cause to believe the driver or occupant of a fleeing vehicle has committed a violent or life-threatening felony.”
Florida, on the other hand, has loosened their pursuit policy. Policy that previously restricted pursuits to DUIs, felony offenses, or reckless driving now allows more discretion by officers to initiate pursuit. Additionally, troopers are now allowed to drive in the wrong direction and on the wrong side of the road if needed. They also no longer have to follow posted speed limits and are authorized to participate in pursuits on motorcycles.
“While many states shy away from holding dangerous felons accountable for their decisions, the Florida Highway Patrol seeks to use every tool and tactic available to ensure dangerous felons end up in jail and off our streets,” the Florida Highway Patrol said in a statement.
A report from the Council on Criminal Justice earlier this year shows that most categories of crimes “appear to be reverting toward pre-pandemic levels.”
Nonetheless, some jurisdictions continue to see upticks in specific types of crime. For example, Washington State has seen violent crime rise from 335.7 incidents per 100,000 people in 2022 to 375.6 incidents per 100,000 people. This is just barely below the national rate of 380.7 incidents per 100,000 people, the FBI reports.
With truly limited data on crashes and fatalities related to police pursuits, it can be difficult to find where the true middle place is on this subject.
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The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
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