Well stated Mav.......Salute Bro.
Fortunitly our pursuit policy wasn't AS restricked as many larger city agencies. However, ya dang skippy, you needed to use common sense and terminate chases when needed.
The $20 dollar drive off. Ya get behind em, vehicle matches up, can't yet see the plate, all descriptures match though, ya call it in......rolling location.......reach down turn your lights on........&............BOOM, driver nails it.............. Yea say "Just Call In The Plate & Be Done", DURING A HIGH SPEED PURSUIT!?!? Have you lost your mind, or what. Some or the thing to be concerned with during pursuit driving: Watching the vehicle being pursued by you, looking in front of vehcle, on coming traffic, side road traffic, rear traffic, watch for anything to be thrown out of suspect vehicle (drugs, weapons, etc.), making sure camera stays on target, all while holding microphone in right hand contiuosly updating and communicating with your dispatchers..................
........................and you want me to break all that concentration and focus on some LITTLE rectangular square on the back of the vehicle...................
You see one of the things I don't like about the TV versions is that it shows............well that kind of says it all.............It's all SHOW. The officer is representing an agency that's being viewed by MILLIONS. What it doesn't show is.............using the above example............What's going through my mind:
(and this is what has run through my mind before).........Surely this driver isn't committing a Felony over a $20. bill. Aww hell what do I have?
So from calling in a simple misdemeanor theft stop, your now on the radio advising dispatch of pursuit in progress. It has now gone over the air, and responses are coming in, the channel gets cleared for your traffic only until the pursuit ends, or is terminated by me.
Bottom line though is ya just can't assume the chase is over a $20 bill, assumptions is what gets you killed when working the streets.
Bragging rights...............yea, maybe a day or 2 later, hell I'm human too. Right after the chase, no.......generally I was always too pizzed off at the driver for endangering Me, Others, and the him/her - self (in that order). Still stands, never at a DONUT SHOP (
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Ya know, one way to educate yourself in what REALLY goes on inside that patrol car is to sign up for a few nights as a Ride Along. Most agencies allow civilians to ride with an Officer for a shift, or even partial shift. Do a few nights and you get a clearer idea of what goes into the FULL picture.
