Around a decade or so, no chase policies swept across the United States as politicians, journalists, and academics declared the death of police chases in the modern era. Yet we’ve seen how that didn’t happen and in fact many no chase policies have been loosened or even dropped recently.
Watch a McLaren 720S run from police in Georgia.
One of the most shocking examples has been the state of Washington. While individual law enforcement agencies have their own policies, a state law restricting chases was replaced by one that is more liberal in allowing for pursuits.
Critics think this trend of reversing no chase policies will backfire while ignoring what’s led up to this moment. In many areas, crime overall is up and some of the blame seems to fall on these policies.
After all, criminals often know when cops aren’t allowed to chase them anymore. They will then do whatever will cause officers to stop pursuing, even if it means engaging in risky behavior which puts the public at risk.
No chase policies have often been put in place to guard the law enforcement agency from lawsuits. That’s a sad fact and one that’s played out in court cases in the past. One might argue judges have gone too far in their rulings, fueling a rise in more restrictive no chase policies which allow criminals to get away, posing a threat to the public. But the legal risk has largely fueled these policies.
Some will argue these no chase policies are about public safety, nothing more. They kind of are since accidents involving cops pursuing suspects will lead to expensive lawsuits. But the cold, hard reality isn’t as fun as the fuzzy fantasy many want to believe.
Again, no chase policies are about protecting law enforcement agencies, plus government at different levels, from lawsuits. If they were about protecting the public, there would be more discussion about how they essentially encourage criminals to flee recklessly so cops won’t chase them.
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