Dear Department Leader,
Thank you for taking the time to discuss the issues related to motor vehicle pursuits. The following roll call training is simply a reminder to utilize safe practices before engaging in a motor vehicle pursuit.
Law enforcement officers place themselves in harm’s way every day, facing any combination of hazards at a time. Among these hazards is the potential for vehicle collision, which is amplified greatly when an officer is engaged in a vehicle pursuit.
In addition to injury, death, and physical damage, police-related vehicle collisions present additional legal exposures to the officer and the department. Settlements and judgments from cases resulting in injury or death because of pursuits could cost a police department millions of dollars and negatively impact the department’s reputation in the community.
An officer’s failure to follow federal, state, and agency policy regarding pursuits can result in additional liabilities. Any officer involved in a vehicle pursuit that resulted in bodily injury, death, or property damage should have concerns with at least three different levels of potential liability.
- Federal civil rights lawsuit filed by the plaintiff seeking damages.
- Tort liability imposed through a lawsuit filed in state court.
- Departmental disciplinary action if the pursuit violates agency policy.
Police departments in the United States typically adopt a restrictive pursuit policy. This type of policy should balance the need to take a fleeing suspect into custody, with the consequences that might occur to the police, innocent bystanders, or suspects during the pursuit. Restrictive policies allow pursuits to be initiated and continued in very specific situations, usually when a more serious crime has been committed, and while under the careful supervision of a watch commander or shift supervisor.
Police officers should obey departmental restrictions and policies on when to initiate a pursuit, how to conduct a pursuit, and when to discontinue it. Additionally, officers must take a moment and evaluate whether the benefits of a potential arrest outweigh the risks of endangering the public, the suspects or the officers while engaged in the chase.
Roll Call Reminder
This Roll Call Reminder intends to point out the hazards of pursuit driving. The intent is to have a department leader or designated team member read the reminder aloud to the team. After hearing the message, work together to answer and respond to the questions that follow. To conclude the conversation, it is important that you acknowledge the dangers of pursuit driving and the factors you must evaluate when engaging in a vehicle pursuit.
Welcome Law Enforcement Officers,
A study by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) found that nationwide, police officers engage in more motor vehicle pursuits than they do police shootings, indicating that police chases are one of the most dangerous of all ordinary police activities (1990).
When involved in a pursuit, you often have to make quick decisions regarding your safety, the public’s safety, and the safety of the suspects being pursued. As a law enforcement officer, you are sworn to uphold the law and take offenders into custody as safely and prudently as possible. You must obey the state statute and department policy regarding vehicle pursuits; and, most importantly, you must not jeopardize your lives or the lives of others to make a simple arrest.
It is important to assess the situation carefully before engaging in a vehicle pursuit, by considering: the location where a pursuit may be forbidden or limited, such as a school zone or hospital; the weather conditions; and the context of the criminal violation. For example, to engage in a high-speed or extended pursuit for a minor traffic violation would be viewed as unwarranted.
- What are the dangers of engaging in a motor vehicle pursuit?
- What is your department’s policy regarding motor vehicle pursuits?
- What state statutes must you consider?
When performing their official duties while operating an emergency vehicle, police officers are granted exemptions from certain traffic laws by State Statute. However, these exemptions were established to help protect lives, not to place them at undue harm or risk.
Pursuits create an adrenaline rush, and may be viewed as exciting, but you must take a moment and evaluate whether the benefits of a potential arrest outweigh the risks of endangering the public, the suspects, and yourself while engaged in the chase.
References
National Institute of Justice (1990). Restrictive Policies for high-speed police pursuits. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/122025NCJRS.pdf