Your view on police chases.

[SteveSS]

I'm against most police car chases. I think there's a lot of the cop's ego involved. If it's a murder or a kidnapping I can understand some of the risks vs. reward but when it's a kid on a dirt bike riding on the street? The cops go all out for the most minor offenses like chasing a shoplifter with 4 kids in the car and eventually somebody wrecks. It could be your family that got t-boned at a intersection and it killed everyone in the car. It's akin to a cop shooting at a suspect in a crowd. The chase turns a very minor crime into a life-threatening situation for anyone in the area. So what if a guy was speeding? Is it worth his life and everybody else's in that 150 mph chase?

I think cops should have to use a lot more discretion on when to initiate a car chase. Just type in police chases and see how many end in fatal crashes. I watched a video where a police driver's training instructor was narrating and essentially saying the same thing as me. The cop's ego got involved and he was going to catch this kid on a motorcycle no matter what. The cop ended up rolling his car with a K9 unit inside. A$$hole.

 

[5.7 hemi]

And it could be your family that is hurt cause the police didn’t do anything.

 

[dadsbee]

My view was out the windshield, I never looked back....

 

[Bennoel 10]

It's one of those things, damed if you do, damed if you don't.

 

[#41]

They passed a law here to not pursue people who elude and a lot of crime, especially car thefts and prowling have spiked. Discretion yes, but not enforcing the law just emboldens criminals.

 

[5.7 hemi]

Criminals start dying, **** will get better.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

What's going on now isn't working... There have been some good wheel capture devices designed to safely stop chases but unfortunately the equipment is rarely in the possession of officers on scene...

Spike strips don't seem very effective... And after seeing a perp intentionally avoid the strip by aiming for, striking and killing an officer... I'd say that idea needs further development...

Pit maneuver? Only a handful of officers are trained, most aren't allowed to use it without authorization & when that authorization comes the best opportunities for success have come & gone... So now you have an officer with authorization & he takes a chance when the situation isn't right... Lately I'm seeing pit maneuvers preformed at over 100 mph... I get it, at that point the perp needs to be stopped but the risk of pitting at over 100 mph is likely greater than backing off... And generally I do not agree with backing off... Innocent sane people don't run.... But these days it seems many people have been convinced cops are out to kill them...

 

[KiwiKid72]

A bit different here. Most police don't carry guns and seem pretty chilled compared to American police because crime is nowhere near that level.

They used to chase speeding drivers (with some terrible consequences), but now New Zealand police say they don't chase suspected drunk drivers, car thieves and suspicious vehicles because the suspected crime does not justify the risk the pursuit poses toward the public.

The last time I got pulled over by the police the officer walked up to my window and said "How's your dad? I heard he was in hospital a few weeks ago." My father is just a regular guy in a small town and the officer recognised my car so pulled me over for the sole purpose of seeing if he was OK.

 

[Kern Dog]

The "Broken Windows" theory is applicable here.
To condone bad behavior is to encourage more of it. I support the Police running down criminals, not ignoring them.

 

[1STMP]

The very second a vehicle driven at
excess speeds to avoid police
capture, that vehicle essentially
transforms into a weapon every bit
as deadly as an AR-15.
Should we let the perps with the AR
just keep on shooting?
Every effort should be taken
to stop that 4,000lb bullet.
Most that run are very possibly
running due to previous crimes
committed.
As a kid growing up in the muscle
car era, I was certainly guilty of
street races. But had just enough
common sense to take those
challenges to long stretches of
deserted asphalt. And, with red
lights flashing in the rear view, I
I had just enough common sense
and respect for the law to accept
the consequences.

 

[Xp29h]

Let me start with this, One who has been in them, they suck! But if you let them go Scott free, you see more and more of them. That is a fact. We had a chief that let it be known we weren’t chasing. We had more and more vehicles fail to stop until he had to change the policy! The criminals run, the police don’t push and in many times the horrific accidents happen anyway due solely to the criminal and their reckless behavior. Because again the criminals don’t give a ****!

If the police hit the blues to pull someone over, then it’s their responsibility to stop! In Maine your ability to drive is not a right but a privilege. The tough part is when an officer tries to stop a vehicle for unregistered and they bolt, what else or other crime is or has been committed? Do they chase solely for an unregistered? The “broken windows” does apply.

We‘ve had that same scenario! Unregistered stop, bolt and had just committed a domestic violence homicide that we were unaware of at that moment. My first line sums chases up! The down right suck and are not fun at all! I wish they could be avoided but they just cannot! That’s my opinion from being there.

 

[440 PHIXX]

The Arkansas ones on YT have me amazed that innocent people going about their lives aren’t killed. It’s just a matter of time.

 

[chargervert]

I liked watching the one where the guy in the white Hellcat Challenger outran the police helicopter! None of the cop cars on the ground had anything for him either! They caught him when he ran out of gas! It was stupid and dangerous to do, but cool to watch! The white Challenger that the cops couldn't catch brought back images of Vanishing Point!

 

[451Mopar]

Check with your local Police to see what their policy is, it is likely stricter than you think.
Go for a ride along and see for yourself.
I looked it up:
https://coloradosprings.gov/sites/default/files/general_order_965_vehicle_pursuits.pdf

 

[Triplegreen500]

I liked watching the one where the guy in the white Hellcat Challenger outran the police helicopter! None of the cop cars on the ground had anything for him either! They caught him when he ran out of gas! It was stupid and dangerous to do, but cool to watch! The white Challenger that the cops couldn't catch brought back images of Vanishing Point!

And that's part of the problem - the "glory" aspect. Criminals are NOT to be worshipped, respected, or put on a pedestal (unless there's a rope around their neck).

Criminals are meant to be STOPPED.

Period.

If you run from cops in a car, that constitutes deadly force; police should be allowed to respond in kind. I know as a conceal carry holder, MY rights include the ability to respond with deadly force, when met with deadly force - why are the police any different? We're taught in CCW class that we are permitted to fire "until the threat of deadly injury is gone". In other words - (in the words of Ron White) "if they try to kill you, you kill them right back". Police need to be un-tethered, and empowered to STOP CRIME.

THIS, is the problem. Criminals know they can get away with it. There is no deterrence.

Pretty soon? Citizens will take up the slack, and stop them when cops don't / can't. And we won't "book 'em" and send 'em to trial. CCW is NOT power to arrest. It is power to STOP THE THREAT. You do the math.

I say, encourage the cops. Not to chase...but to END the chases in a decisive manner. If that ends the criminal, too? Meh. They made their choice. If anyone gets hurt along the way? Use seized goods to help settle that score. If the crook doesn't have anything of value? Go after family. But we can NOT keep going after police, for doing their jobs.

when an officer tries to stop a vehicle for unregistered and they bolt, what else or other crime is or has been committed? Do they chase solely for an unregistered? The “broken windows” does apply.

Typically an unregistered vehicle belongs to....well..."not a good guy". Broken Windows ABSOLUTELY applies here.

Crime is crime - no gray areas at this point. The scaled response comes in SENTENCING, as far as major/minor/short sentence/long sentence. As far as police involvement goes - is it a crime? Yes? STOP THEM. Period.

 

[68-500]

Why endanger innocent lives for traffic stops? Maybe if they are certain they are after a specific criminal for some major crimes ok go get them. I think most ciuld be followed at a safe distance and using radios and multiple cars to simplify follow until they run out of fuel or bailout.

 

[Hey-O]

I'm against most police car chases. I think there's a lot of the cop's ego involved. If it's a murder or a kidnapping I can understand some of the risks vs. reward but when it's a kid on a dirt bike riding on the street? The cops go all out for the most minor offenses like chasing a shoplifter with 4 kids in the car and eventually somebody wrecks. It could be your family that got t-boned at a intersection and it killed everyone in the car. It's akin to a cop shooting at a suspect in a crowd. The chase turns a very minor crime into a life-threatening situation for anyone in the area. So what if a guy was speeding? Is it worth his life and everybody else's in that 150 mph chase?

I think cops should have to use a lot more discretion on when to initiate a car chase. Just type in police chases and see how many end in fatal crashes. I watched a video where a police driver's training instructor was narrating and essentially saying the same thing as me. The cop's ego got involved and he was going to catch this kid on a motorcycle no matter what. The cop ended up rolling his car with a K9 unit inside. A$$hole.

You'd feel different if they were chasing someone that intruded on your space. St. Louis has it's problems, but we don't chase and run over someone for stealing a candy bar from your favorite quick trip. Letting people get away is the reason they continue to run and the new sport will never end. Are you against the people running away or just those chasing them. I think you need to put the blame on the right party for starting the whole problem. As always, just my opinion.

 

[padam]

I live in a city neighborhood of single family homes, about four houses per block, then a 2 or 4 way stop sign, it varies. Streets are laid out in a nice grid. My house is on a corner with a pretty busy 5 way Stop. (About a mile from Pro Football HOF.)

I was working in the garage a few weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon. Since it was warmer than normal I had the door open. Since it was so nice a lot of people were outside doing stuff.

I heard a car coming fast and looked out in time to see a Nissan SUV go by north at about 70mph (25 mph zone.) not far behind was a Canton cop, in a Ford SUV.

A few minutes later same thing going south, but faster, had to be over 70. You could tell they were flat out.
Right through all the stop signs without slowing. I don’t think the cop was using lights and siren.
I stood there physically cringing waiting for the crash, but none came.
There were many more Canton cruisers and I think State troopers as well that joined in.

With the number of people who walk their dogs and the way kids play in the streets here, I’m shocked that no one was killed.

They must not have caught him because they cruised the neighborhood all that day and even the next. I never heard what it was about, just a rumor about a murder but no facts. I hope it was important cause it was risky as hell

 

[Daves69]

I guess when the perp assaults you in Chicago and they run, police are barred from foot pursuits these days.
Frank might be singing "My Kind of Town " a little differently in 2023.

 

[WileE]

When you don't use the lasso, you're allowing the horse to run away.