Colorado Police Reverse No-Chase Policy

Police in Aurora, Colorado can now chase down and stop criminals fleeing in stolen cars. It’s a novel concept for some areas, even though such a crimefighting technique has been used with much success in other parts of the country.

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Before a recent policy change, police in Aurora could only pursue suspects who had committed a violent crime, Chief Todd Chamberlan told KDVR. In other words, you could steal a car, or do anything that didn’t involve violence, and all you had to do to get away from the police is just drive somewhat fast.

What really blows our minds is the fact city leaders didn’t think for a moment that the old no-chase policy actually encouraged thieves to go there and steal cars. After all, if you can boost rides and the police won’t chase you, why not do business there?

Usually, these no-chase policies are the result of a bad crash during a police pursuit. While those are unfortunate, there are ways to prevent them. One is to invest more into training police officers on proper pursuit techniques. Another is to discipline officers for violating pursuit policies.

But telling police they can’t chase suspects unless they’ve committed violence gives criminals the green light to act with impunity.

What’s worse is car theft helps fuel other crimes, including violent attacks. A stolen ride allows criminals to hide who they are because they can use one as a getaway vehicle. Selling stolen cars or chopping them up and selling the parts provides funding for narcotics, guns, etc.

Cracking down on car theft helps put a pinch on crime in general. Allowing car thieves to get away does the exact opposite. This has played out over the past several years in cities like Aurora, which is why a growing number of police departments are changing pursuit policies so officers can chase down suspects again.

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