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Police Pursuits
Richard W. Anderson
American Public University System
Professor Michael Beshears
CMRJ306 Criminal Investigation
11 October 2014

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Abstract
This paper presents a look at the aspect of police pursuits where automotive vehicles are
concerned. Law enforcement policies concerning where, when, and why one should engage in a
low-speed or high-speed pursuit have existed since the 1970s. But due to concerns over public
safety and an ever-growing number of accidents involving injuries to police and public alike, the
current trend, beginning development in the 1990s, is to use better judgment when deciding to
engage in a high-speed pursuit. Perhaps a more thoughtful and strategic lower speed, high-tech
approach, as well as other strategies, would be better for all concerned in apprehension of
vehicle-borne persons of interest.

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Although police pursuits might attract a wide range of public attention through thrill-seeking
voyeurism, statistically in reality high-speed vehicular pursuits by law enforcement officers in
order to apprehend, or at the very least investigate, automobile drivers and other mishaps, is a
dangerous endeavor. Police officers, pedestrians, and third party drivers are injured and killed
every year during high-speed vehicle pursuits. The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) calculated some 20,000 injuries result annually caused within the
sphere of about 50,000 police pursuits. In 1990 there were 314 fatalities reported as a direct
result from these pursuits (Hicks, 2006).
Statistical Contradiction
For years, attorneys have been defending clients injured or killed due to high-speed vehicle
chases by quoting an antiquated Physicians for Automotive Safety (PAS) report from 1968
which boasted that almost one quarter of all police pursuits end in the deaths of someone, and
that nearly three quarters of these activities end in accidents. Three months worth of newspaper
clippings are said to have provided the data to this still-used defense mechanism (Hicks, 2006).
More recent studies have proven otherwise.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) conducted a six-month study in 1983 involving ten
police agencies throughout Southern California concerning injuries, accidents, and fatalities with
regards to police pursuits. It was discovered that data covering a total of 683 pursuits
demonstrated a 1% fatality rate (n = 7), a 29% accident rate (n = 198), and an 11% injury rate (n
= 75) (Hicks, 2006). Clearly, the PAS report data should be retired from any further legal
proceedings. In another study, performed by Geoffrey Alpert and Roger Dunham, 1988 data
from two Miami, Florida, police departments revealed that of 952 police pursuits, traffic

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violation arrests constituted 47% (n = 305) of the pursuits while the arrest of felons after pursuits
amounted to 48% (n = 314) (Hicks, 2006).
Training and Pursuit Policies Nationwide
Many police pursuit policies in America had been created and implemented during the
1970s, and by the 1990s more restrictions had been placed on said pursuits (Alpert, 1997).
Determinations as to whether the risk of public safety outweighed the value of capturing a runner
had become a growing concern.
The general public and law enforcement both appear to agree that the more severe the
suspected crime by the pursued, the more accepting of apprehension over public safety exists.
But as in the case of someone simply running a red light, then panicking and speeding off, is less
likely to win support, especially if a child, for example, is run over during the process.
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) performed a massive study during the 1990s,
encompassing almost 800 law enforcement agencies, both large and small, to which almost 500
provided useful data (Alpert, 1997). As might be expected, the larger agencies reported more
pursuits than smaller ones. Also, the study demonstrated that there existed a serious lack of
introductory as well as ongoing police pursuit training, and pursuit polices in general lacked
anything resembling standardization. In defense of the policy writers, it was discovered that the
details needed for a large metropolitan area were necessarily much more complicated than what
might be needed for a small rural town. But some notions clearly stood out: (1) more
information was needed with regards to police pursuit situations; (2) a continuing review of
pursuit policies should be conducted; (3) training specifically designed around police pursuits
was needed; and (4) law enforcement officers, both supervisors and those involved with the

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chase, should be held accountable for their actions (Alpert, 1997).
Police Thinking
In a paper written by Corporal Justin Thompson, a ten-year law enforcement veteran, he
reiterates that Floyd (2004) statistics reveal that out of officers killed in the line of duty during
that year there were two main causes of death: one was being shot, the other was from dying in
an automobile accident; with the percentage being over 50 in both scenarios (Thompson, 2005).
Thompson further points out that being shot during the line of duty is a possibility which most
officers have thought about, but dying in an auto accident is not given the same priority of
consideration. The question of what type of personality takes these sorts of risks in the line of
their occupation comes to mind.
In an article, and study, written for The Journal of Social Psychology, R. Homant, D.
Kennedy, & J. Howton (1994) educate their readers in that police officers in general have
personality traits which include an affinity for risk taking as well as sensation seeking; two areas
where police pursuits will engage more easily if they are integral to an officer's inherent
thinking.
Officers chosen for their studies were required to have more than two years of service, pretty
much guaranteeing that they have been involved in high-speed pursuits, and access to their
personnel files was also permitted. Most of the participants in the study were white males, 3 of
the 69 were female, and all about 30 years of age with better than two years of college education.
The questionnaire was given in 1991. The participants were not informed that they were
receiving a Sensation Seeking Study (Homant, Kennedy, & Howton, 1994). They concluded
that risk taking and sensation seeking were indeed personality traits which were inherent to the

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capacity and willingness for pursuant behavior.
The Dangers and Reducing Risk
In an article written for Real Police, the author points out that the number of accidents as a
result from police pursuits continue to rise, particularly in urban environments, and the lack of
control over the events as they unfold is evident (Real Police, 2002).
Furthermore, there is a lack of mandatory reporting for many high-speed chases, and without
better data collection, the NHTSA cannot provide much needed information for better policy
making for the nation as a whole. Current data presents definitively over 300 pursuit related
deaths annually, but the figures could be closer to 500 by all accounts (Real Police, 2002). But
the danger and negative outcomes do not stop there.
Further data indicates that many pursuits are initiated beginning with a traffic stop, and that
statistics gathered between the years 1994 and 1998 show that one police officer about every 11
weeks died from pursuit involvement. In addition over 40 percent of those injured or killed
during a pursuit were third party victims (Real Police, 2002). Timing also seems to play a factor
in when accidents occur during police pursuits. Half of all accidents during pursuits happen
within the first two minutes, and nearly three quarters of pursuits lasting up to six minutes end in
a collision of some sort. In addition to the tremendous number of accidents, the behavior of
officers during stops appears to be an issue with the general public. Over 60 percent of those
asked responded by saying law enforcement overreacts to those who do not stop when requested
to do so, suggesting that perhaps continued training may be in order (Real Police, 2002).
More Training
Many agencies have apparently taught their young officers pursuit driving techniques in the

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physical sense, i.e., actual driving, but have not accompanied classroom time in reasonable
proportion. Officers have been taught the how to, but perhaps not the discriminatory when to
employ these drastic measures. It is also pointed out, that police training for driving should be
managed similarly to firearms training; when to shoot is as important as how to shoot. An
additional observation has been that the young officers, as previously mentioned, have
undergone the newer philosophies regarding pursuit driving, but not the older officers (Real
Police, 2002). It has been suggested that the veterans should be ensured of getting the more
recent training as well, regardless of their past experience.
Incarcerated suspects have also been included in the dialogue regarding police pursuits.
Nearly three quarters of suspects apprehended after a police pursuit admit they would have
slowed down the vehicles if the pursuit had been terminated. And even though nearly the same
percentage admitted to being concerned for their own safety, and to a lesser extent with the
safety of others, over fifty percent said they would flee no matter what, and over sixty percent
believed they would not be apprehended at all while the chase was on (Real Police, 2002). This
must be taken into consideration by law enforcement who accepts the option of pursuit over
other safer methods for apprehending suspects.
Many people involved with the decision making agree that termination is a reasonable
option for lessening the danger to all concerned with regards to vehicular pursuits by police. But
technology is also an available option. Spiked strips have proven to be useful tools in at least
slowing down, if not stopping, a pursued vehicle. Ohio State Highway Patrol, Utah police, and
police in Pennsylvania have used the spiked strips in more recent years with success (Real
Police, 2002). Electronic technology is now also being employed. Automobiles of more recent

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vintage have electronic receiving mechanisms which can be disabled by radio frequency
communication from authorities when necessary. In addition, devices projecting microwave
energy are being tested which will disable a vehicle's engine as well (Real Police, 2002).
Furthermore, helicopters have been used in several states to assist with high-speed pursuits with
good success. They are extremely mobile, and at 500 feet, providing they are not being shot at,
and even if so, have a tremendous amount of leeway in the sky to observe and report a vehicle's
whereabouts.
Extended sentences have also been a considered option, and it is suggested that fleeing the
police when requested to stop should be automatically a second degree offense, in addition to
whatever else the suspect is eventually charged with. Of course, getting the word out to the
general public that fleeing will incur the wrath of the criminal justice system will need to go
hand-in-hand with the newer ultimatums.
Conclusion
Criminal offenses are an unfortunate aspect of human existence, and the unwillingness of
perpetrators to immediately stand fast, whether on foot, in an airplane, or driving an automobile
when requested is also a fact of life. Vehicular police pursuits will continue in America, as well
as elsewhere, and all indications are that they will also continue to increase in frequency, but the
injuries to both law enforcement officers, suspects, and third party victims does not have to
increase pari passu. Revision and basic standardization for both urban as well as rural scenarios
of pursuit policies will help reduce incidences on our roads. Also, increasing classroom time for
law enforcement, both rookies as well as veterans, regarding when and to what capacity a police
pursuit should take place, injuries, accidents, and most hopefully deaths, can be reduced. In

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addition, good supervision by officers controlling the pursuit will be advantageous, as well as
incorporating automobile disabling high-technology, increased street level video surveillance
instrumentation, stop strips, helicopters, and other innovations can, with a bit of luck, reduce the
potential for disasters on our roadways due to the inevitable vehicular pursuits by police.

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References
Alpert, Geoffrey, P. National Institute of Justice. (1997). Police Pursuit: Policies and
Training. https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/164831.pdf
Hicks, W. L. (2006). Police vehicular pursuits: A descriptive analysis of state agencies'
written policy. Policing, 29(1), 106-124. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/211302794?accountid=8289
Real Police. (2002). http://www.realpolice.net/articles/police-pursuits/high-speed-police-
pursuits-dangers-dynamics-and-risk-reduction.html
Homant, R. J., Kennedy, D. B., & Howton, J. D. (1994). Risk taking and police pursuit.
The Journal of Social Psychology, 134(2), 213. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/199831030?accountid=8289
Thompson, Justin. (2005) Police Pursuits: Are No Police Pursuits the Answer?
http://www.cji.edu/site/assets/files/1921/police_pursuits.pdf