Your view on police chases.

[Triplegreen500]

As I said above - an infraction is an infraction. The whole "major/minor" part is to be decided in court, not on the streets.

If you've done enough wrong to attract the cops in the first place...you deserve to be stopped. Period.

 

[patrick66]

Arkansas cops have no filter. They have no compunctions about endangering innocent motorists in pursuit of the "bad guy", no matter if he/she/it is a shoplifter or a mass murderer. Watch YT and compare the Arkansas cops to the California cops. At least in California, they have a pretty strict limit about using the PIT maneuver. It can't be used above 45 mph unless there is clear real estate ahead. Arkansas? They PIT at 100 mph and faster! Their PITs usually end up getting people seriously injured or killed. At what cost? Granted, the person pulled over might have a taillight out or something VERY minor. Said person MIGHT be a killer, bank robber, or kidnapper. Unless that plate/tag comes back to a known suspect in a real crime (as opposed to speeding), let him go, if they can't be stopped safely. Live another day. The little peckerwood will screw up again. He always does.

Bad guys are responsible for being dumbass bad guys and instigating pursuits. Cops are responsible for throwing sense out the window and pursuing at any cost, regardless of what precipitated it.

It seems "common sense" disappeared a long, long time ago.

If you are a bad guy, try doing a pre-drive walkaround of your '90s beater POS Honda or Impala. Replace any and all burned-out lights. Get rid of the 420 window stickers and the "I hate cops!" decals. Tint your windows at the legal level in your State (or less). Don't drive like a fool. Vacuum the "recreational debris" from your car thoroughly. Wear your seat belt. Quit assuming the cop is there to jack you up, and don't act like a fool when they're talking with you. Cooperation and goodwill work both ways.

If you are a good guy, quit assuming everyone is a bad guy. Talk to people like people, and quit screaming. Quit treating everyone like criminals, and get that damned flashlight out of the eyes (you ruin night vision doing that, BTW), you're just being an asshole with that 1M-lumen flashlight, Sport. Try being an ambassador for your jurisdiction, instead of being a dick for your jurisdiction...Cooperation and goodwill work both ways

 

[69a100]

Speaking of lassos, when cops have a suspect cuffed and standing or down on the ground, how about a heavy duty zip tie around the ankles. No more running away.

They have to catch them first in order to do that! That's like fixin a hole in a boat after it's sunk!

 

[Triplegreen500]

So what you're saying is, if a crook is dumb enough to run...they should get a 'pass' on whatever crime they committed (including the crime of evading law enforcement)?

yea.

THAT makes sense.

 

[AR67GTX]

The same police chase argument exists for police confronting a criminal with a gun who could start throwing rounds and hit innocent people. For the police to walk (or drive) away just invites more of the same and more risk to the public. You can’t assume that if the police simply don’t chase criminals in a car that the public is safer. I was reading a story in our paper this morning where some idiot carjacked someone, roared off and promptly wrecked the car a few blocks away. He got out, found a second victim and carjacked a second car and roared away, quickly wrecking it. Police never showed up until he turned up on a school campus where they collared him. It’s a miracle he didn’t manage to hurt anyone in two carjacks, two crashes and at the school. But nothing says the police can’t use judgement and back off a chase they fear it’s getting out of hand. Like the saying goes, you can run but you can’t outrun a radio.

 

[68BabyBlue]

Radios and multiple cars...

Heard this first hand from a PA state trooper who was guest speaker at a safety meeting I attended a few years back. He spoke candidly about the fact that our state's Ford Explorer fleet is totally outgunned by any modern day muscle car. They can use their discretion to pursue, but the process entails dialing in the second pursuit car immediately, and a helicopter if it escalates.

Back in my corporate days, our headquarters was a few miles from what was at the time the murder capital of the US. I worked with a local officer in connection with a homicide on our property. He confided that his single biggest headache as a supervisor was dealing with young cops who had "watched too many cop shows" and destroyed property at appalling rates while giving chase. Best story involved a rookie who chased a suspect down a street under construction, and destroyed the entire drive line of the patrol car by shearing the transmission and oil pans off on exposed manhole covers.

 

[toolmanmike]

Durango Pursuit AWD with a 5.7 Hemi (at least)

 

[roadrunnerh]

If you run from the police, you should be chased and caught. Also, expect the police to not be relaxed and gentle - they may give the criminal a well deserved *** kicking.

 

[Sam69sat]

As far as i'm concerned, anyone in a high speed chase should be killed like a terrorist. They're putting innocent lives at risk so they should be taken out immediately. Here's one method they could use that turns the perpertrator into minced meat.

Everything We Know About America's Sword Blade Hellfire Missile And Its Latest Target

It's curious how secret this weapon is compared to how eager the U.S. military often is to promote the steps it is taking to reduce collateral damage.

www.thedrive.com

 

[fesser]

If you don't like police officers, or people in authority, or what have you, you can spend a little time on the internet and find lots of videos and articles to reinforce that your feelings are justified. You can also look for and find examples of pilot error that result in fatal crashes, or errors by Doctors that result in human death, and on and on. There is a lot of material available on the net and millions of people making more each day.

If you are able to set aside any anti-cop bias when discussing pursuits, and think clearly, you eventually will have to put yourself on one side of the reality or the other. If you outlaw all pursuits, criminals will pretty much be able to do what they want, and that would include driving dangerously any time they want to. Guaranteed more people will die as a result of idiots driving with no regard for traffic laws than do as a result of police pursuits.

If you are a person who feels strongly that pursuits should be taken more seriously, do some research and find out what the penalty is for failing to yield in your state, and for extra credit find out how often people that flee and get caught receive any significant punishment for it.

I can tell you that in CA there are two code sections for a pursuit. One of them is only a misdemeanor and in this day and age those are commonly treated as a joke.
The other section is written as a felony and gets into specifics about the level of danger to the public caused by the pursuit. Ironically most modern pursuit policies require an officer to terminate a pursuit when the danger to the public outweighs the severity of the crime. I say ironically because if you charge the felony section of the law by articulating how the criminal's actions put the public in danger, you often get a defense attorney using the pursuit policy to defend his client. If it was that dangerous, why didn't you terminate, and if it wasn't that dangerous, why didn't you charge the misdemeanor section?

I would think that even the anti-cop people on here would agree that any criminal that decides to not yield and to flee in his (or some victim's) vehicle, he should be charged with a serious crime when caught.

And yes, I am biased. I believe society needs laws, and laws need to be enforced.

 

[Belvedere408]

Here in drugville Oregon I think the police chases are a bad idea, most the time it’s for a failure to appear in court or some other minor offense.

 

[patrick66]

Here in drugville Oregon I think the police chases are a bad idea, most the time it’s for a failure to appear in court or some other minor offense.

Or, the perp says "I wuz scared!", or had a lowly misdemeanor warrant out. The lights come on, hey, pull over! Way too effin' easy!

A legit question for you that are LE - WHY does it take sometimes five cars for a traffic stop, and I'm not talking about a pursuit, or even apprehending a genuine criminal?

I don't think anyone here is "anti-cop", but there are far too many "good guys" that have no filter, and do not know when to apply force versus de-escalating a particular situation.

And who pays for totalled cop cars? Who pays for the way-too-prevalent lawsuits that people who have been genuinely wronged by LE? Oh, yeah, it's we, the taxpayer. Accountability would certainly be nice. On BOTH sides.

 

[fesser]

A legit question for you that are LE - WHY does it take sometimes five cars for a traffic stop, and I'm not talking about a pursuit, or even apprehending a genuine criminal?

If it is a legit question...
Many agencies use a contact and cover system. One officer, usually the one who initiates the stop, handles the stop. The second officer stands where he/she can keep an eye on the occupant(s) of the vehicle while the other officer is focused on other things. I don't know why there would sometimes be the need for five cars at a traffic stop, but then again, neither do you.
Five seems like a lot to me. But in this case, it is a hypothetical scenario.

 

[Triplegreen500]

When I see a traffic stop with a slew of police cars, I can usually check the police blotter the next day and it's either a) a wanted felon, b) a car matching a description of one wanted for a major offense, or c) one who finally simply gave up and stopped, after leading a chase for enough time to accumulate a number of officer cars in the process.

The other common reason is, a car full of adults who all need to be arrested - they simply need the back seat space, to transport all those people and one cruiser won't do it.

 

[Dennis H]

Over respond. It’s what they do. Seen it a hundred times on the job.

 

[SteveSS]

Quote:

Ironically most modern pursuit policies require an officer to terminate a pursuit when the danger to the public outweighs the severity of the crime. That makes the most sense here. I also remember a few years back when I asked if any of you had ever run from the cops. Several of us had.

That little scene in Tokyo Drift was true. If you're going over 160 KPH they don't give chase. I think the law has changed though.


I used to trust cops as the good guys. Not anymore. They're just out to make big arrests and move up the ladder and get more money. I think the PD attracts a bad element. It used to be, oh there are just a few bad apples. Now it's the good cops that are the minority. And they can get away with everything, they aren't sued, the department or the city is sued. They get fired from one PD and go to the next one They changed that here in Colorado. No more Qualified Immunity!

Those idiot policemen and women arrested a lady here last year and parked their cop car on the railroad tracks. They handcuffed the lady and put her in the squad car on the tracks. Boom along comes a train at 70mph. The lady lived but she is hurt real bad. Dumb Fkin cops.

I think the blue line flag is a desecration to our flag. Go get your own logo.

 

[Russ Hood]

Criminals understand one thing. Brute force. In addition the courts let them go. The whole system is screwed.

 

[440plus6]

Or, the perp says "I wuz scared!", or had a lowly misdemeanor warrant out. The lights come on, hey, pull over! Way too effin' easy!

A legit question for you that are LE - WHY does it take sometimes five cars for a traffic stop, and I'm not talking about a pursuit, or even apprehending a genuine criminal?

I don't think anyone here is "anti-cop", but there are far too many "good guys" that have no filter, and do not know when to apply force versus de-escalating a particular situation.

And who pays for totalled cop cars? Who pays for the way-too-prevalent lawsuits that people who have been genuinely wronged by LE? Oh, yeah, it's we, the taxpayer. Accountability would certainly be nice. On BOTH sides.

Sir, with all due respect, I am curious as to what facts or data you are using to base your conclusions on? I know for a 100% fact, that accountability within reigns supreme within the state system in PA. I do not agree with any of your speculatory comments. As for the number of cars to make a traffic stop, I am not sure why you would even care? As many as it takes to make certain to every extent possible that EVERYONE goes home or to jail alive is the answer.

BTW- Just an interesting thought, perhaps the individual that is speeding through the community that caused a "totaled cop car" should have to pay for it? Sound like a plan?

I appreciate your opinion as you are entitled to it, but I would sure love to have an adult beverage and a steak with you and discuss things I know to be factually accurate.

 

[WileERobby]

Quote:

Ironically most modern pursuit policies require an officer to terminate a pursuit when the danger to the public outweighs the severity of the crime. That makes the most sense here. I also remember a few years back when I asked if any of you had ever run from the cops. Several of us had.

That little scene in Tokyo Drift was true. If you're going over 160 KPH they don't give chase. I think the law has changed though.


I used to trust cops as the good guys. Not anymore. They're just out to make big arrests and move up the ladder and get more money. I think the PD attracts a bad element. It used to be, oh there are just a few bad apples. Now it's the good cops that are the minority. And they can get away with everything, they aren't sued, the department or the city is sued. They get fired from one PD and go to the next one They changed that here in Colorado. No more Qualified Immunity!

Those idiot policemen and women arrested a lady here last year and parked their cop car on the railroad tracks. They handcuffed the lady and put her in the squad car on the tracks. Boom along comes a train at 70mph. The lady lived but she is hurt real bad. Dumb Fkin cops.

I think the blue line flag is a desecration to our flag. Go get your own logo.

Ok, Steve, I get it... you're a cop-hater. That's your prerogative. But, let me use your paragraph, with some changes: " I used to trust black people as good guys. Not anymore. They're just out to commit crimes and mug and steal and get more money. I think the black community attracts a bad element. It used to be, oh there are just a few bad apples. Now it's the good blacks that are the minority. And they can get away with everything, they aren't arrested, the city is crime-ridden. They get released from one jail and go to the next one if they're caught. " Interesting how painting a broad-brush over any segment of humanity is totally irresponsible, and downright WRONG. Are there bad cops ? Certainly, but certainly a minute number. You think the blue line flag is a desecration ? ? Well, guess what... The police is our line of defense against anarchy, lawlessness, and incivility. They give up their lives so you can fly your flag.

 

[Triplegreen500]

Makes me think, who in this thread is the type to give a cop **** when they get pulled over....and who is the type to simply comply, be polite, and take your lumps without giving the cop a hard time?