Originally posted by Cougar68
Yes it is. Think what you're saying through. If the criminals know that the police cannot continue a chase that gets dangerous, what will happen? They'll make the chase as dangerous as possible so the police have to let them go. What if it's not a stolen car and it's a guy with a body in the backseat that nobody's noticed yet? If all he has to do to get away is run a few stop signs and drive really fast what's the point of even having police cars?
All the officers knew at that point was that the car was stolen. They had no idea what was inside. If you take away the officer's abillity to pursue you might as well just sit them on a street corner with a sign that says "hey you! Stop!" It'll be just about as effective.
About 350 people die in the United States every year in car crashes resulting from police pursuits, and one-third of them are innocent bystanders
The study by Fred Rivara and Chris Mack, of Harborview's Injury Prevention and Research Center, was published in the April issue of the journal Injury Prevention.
It examined all traffic fatalities in the nation from 1994 to 2002 and found 2,654 fatal crashes resulting from police pursuits, with 3,146 deaths.
Of those deaths, 1,048 were of people who were not in fleeing vehicles — occupants in another vehicle, pedestrians or bicyclists — and 40 were police officers.
I will agree there are times when a chase is necessary.
Im just not sure a stolen car is one of them.
Stolen cars tend to turn up sooner or later.
They can be replaced,
and Insurance pays for a good deal of them
Money cant replace a life.
Put out an APB and keep track of his direction of travel. then close in on him when it places the least amount of risk on everyone.
You say what if he had a body? True but he didnt.
But for that matter hat if he ran a redlight trying ot get away because of the chase and smashed into that minivan and killed the occupants?
Sounds to me your talking more ego then anything else.
A Prolonged chase at high speed is hardly protecting me.
Even at 3:AM I am sometimes on the road.
im not saying dont give chase. But there comes a point in time where its better to break it off for everyones own good. including the cops