Pursuits by your agency

[R00tBreaker]

I live in a county of about 140,000. The sheriff's office has a pretty fair pursuit policy. In the past they never really had any pursuits, but recently, they've been having around 2 a month. Just curious, how often does an officer in your agency get into a pursuit (just estimate), and when was the last time you yourself were involved in one?

[Caspertoo]

I have never been in a pursuit as of yet but we get into about 2 or 3 a month. Usually they don't last long before they are either: 1. Called off 2. Crash, 3. Get away

[1sgkelly]

You guys get to chase the bad guys, with lights and sirens and stuff?

WOW

[Chief Wiggum]

If I had to guess I'd say we have around 3 per week of varying lengths and outcomes. I just had one about 3 weeks ago. Guy bailed on foot and we got a good perimiter. Then the dog got him.

[PhilipCal]

Pursuit by your agency

I'm retired from a State agency, so we get into quite a few. The great majority are the result of traffic violations, but often end up in some fairly substantial drug seizures, and other serious violations.

[jakflak]

My department has only had one pursuit in the last four years, and I have the reprimand to prove it.

[NJladyGlock21]

Nj

I would estimate our department is involved on an average of three per month. Like anything else some months carry higher numbers than others. Some pursuits are initiated by us and others are initiated by other departments.
Here, we can only pursue for 1st and 2nd degree offenses or if we believe the driver is an immediate threat to the public or other officers. Agg assault, death by auto, agg crim sex assault, crim restraint, arson, auto theft, burg, theft by ext, manufacturing dist or disp of cds and escape are some specific things we can pursue for. We can't pursue for MV violations which keeps the numbers down.
A majority of our pursuits are for auto theft and agg assault on an officer.

[cleetus0219]

Pusuits? What are those?
I've got 3 words for you from our desk boss- BREAK IT OFF.

[jakflak]

Pusuits? What are those?
I've got 3 words for you from our desk boss- BREAK IT OFF.

You know, those things in the movies that caused us all to want to do this for a living. Now if they'd made these cop movies about hours of paperwork I'd probably have become a geologist....

[lifesaving123]

we actually had a pursuit today, which in my area for the u.s. coast guard is extremely rare. Only lasted a half NM before he figured out he wasn't getting away.

[acreature]

About 2 a month. My last was in Jun.. 20 minutes long, speeds up to 110mph, ramming, shots fired, then a foot chase in the sound.

[cleetus0219]

My last real pursuit was about 2 years ago when I was assigned to a special unit. We got into 1-2 chases a night during weekdays, and sometimes 4+ on Friday nights. The guys in the unit were smart enough to break off 75% of those chases, especially considering how populated the area was.

When you think about it, it really is smarter just to let them go. It isn't worth your pension or health crashing into someone unless they've done something worth chasing them for.

[hemicop]

My last pursuit? About a year ago. Since then my Agency has initiated a policy that the off will be found in violation if he continues the pursuit after the susp. violates a traffic law ,or if the officer himself violates a traffic law (including speeding) , essentially eliminating ALL pursuits. Since then we've begunusing our helicopter more & paralleling the suspect veh, and/or setting up HUGE perimeters as more often than not the susp will abandon the veh once he loses sight of the cops. We'll then decrease the size of the perimeter and use K9s to track the susp. Not the best system in the world, but it keeps the officer from beong liable as my agency loves to find what the officer did wrong .

[azchopshopcop]

Part of our Sgt's field training is how to say "TERMINATE" lol... Our policy is strict.

Felony, and only if the escape of the criminal is likely to cause further death or injury. (loosely interpreted)

Basically, here's an example....

I ran a plate last year, returned stolen, taken in a carjacking. Traffic stop attempted, vehicle fled. Normally, I would not have pursued except there was a female in the passengers seat who kept trying to get out of the vehicle and was trying to beat up the driver who wasn't letting her.

SO......it was on......

17 miles later........as he drove from a city of 65,000 with 10 cops on duty to a city of a bazillion (Phoenix) and I think I counted 100 Officers.... we "pit" him, foot chase, helicopter, polyester pile capture.....rescue of two kidnapped persons.....It was justified as a good pursuit and within policy.....

That's about the only thing I think we would be able to chase for....

[acreature]

We do not have any aircraft.

I understand the foundation of no pursuit policies, I just do not agree with them. If you do not try, they will all run.

Though rare, a good example of why to chase.. even if all you have is a traffic charge, was our last one.... just last week.

Ended up being two persons wanted for murder out of PA. The car they were driving was that of the victim. No one knew until after the chase, crash and foot pursuit.