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Mon 18 Feb, 2013 03:42 pm
Every couple weeks I see in the media where the police chased some motorist who hoped to evade the police. In most cases, the motorist was suspected of driving under the influence or recklessly, and not of murders, robberies, and similar.
It seems that, in about half the cases, people in the chased auto or other autos are killed or badly injured as a result of high-speed chases. Despite this, there are relatively no constraints on the police engaging in these chases.
The chases should be prohibited. After all, the auto has probably been identified in most cases, and arrests can be made in the future. In any event, the chase is not worth the resultant deaths and injuries.
I would love to see the police have to pay very high damages for the deadly results of these chases. This might act as a deterrent.
@Advocate,
Many, or even most departments do prohibit such chases.
They should pass a law to make police car chases observe the speed limit. The guy fleeing goes faster, he gets pulled over and is issued a ticket.
@roger,
roger wrote:
Many, or even most departments do prohibit such chases.
You may be right, and I have heard of such prohibitions. However, the rules must be weak inasmuch there are many, many, such chases. Indeed, there are a number of TV shows that feature videos of the chases.
This is very serious stuff. Any of us, as well as our loved ones, could be victims.
Every few weeks or so there are always a number of severely wrecked patrol cars that show up in the police dept. service garage lot here.
It makes me wonder if any innocent bystanders were equally involved in these crashes.
In any case, these incidences aren't reported by the local media.
@InfraBlue,
There was a high-speed chase in my area yesterday, and it turned out that there was a child in the car (with its parents). The piece didn't say why the chase was commenced. But the driver hit some cars during the chase, including a police car. The police then charged BOTH husband and wife for attempted murder of the policeman, and damaging the parked cars.
This is insane.
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