High-Speed Police Chases: A Deadly Gamble for Innocent Lives

     Enough is enough. While we are being distracted by stories of drones and the next deadly flu bug, hundreds of innocent people are being killed annually by unwarranted high speed police chases, most of which are to satisfy the vanity of the officers involved and have little or no impact on public safety.

     High-speed police pursuits continue to claim the lives of innocent bystanders across the United States, raising serious questions about the necessity and risks of such chases, especially for non-violent offenses.

The statistics paint a grim picture of the dangers posed by police chases:

• More than 5,000 bystanders and passengers have been killed in police car chases since 1979.
• An estimated 11,500 people have died in high-speed police chases since 1979, with about half being innocent bystanders.
• On average, 323 people are killed each year in police chases, with innocent bystanders accounting for 27 percent of these deaths.

These numbers likely understate the actual death toll, as many police reports fail to disclose that a chase occurred.

Despite the high risks, many police pursuits are initiated for relatively minor infractions:

• Only 9 percent of high-speed chases relate directly to violent crime.
• 42 percent of chases are triggered by mere traffic violations.
• 91 percent of chases occur when drivers are suspected of non-violent crimes, with traffic violations being the most common reason.

Law enforcement agencies across the country are grappling with how to balance public safety with the need to apprehend suspects:

• Some departments, like Houston, have recently restricted chases for traffic offenses and non-violent misdemeanors.
• Other jurisdictions, including Florida and Washington state, have loosened restrictions on police pursuits1.
• Experts, including the Police Executive Research Forum, recommend limiting pursuits to cases involving violent crimes where the suspect poses an imminent threat.

Behind the statistics are tragic stories of lives cut short:

• In Detroit, a police chase resulted in the deaths of two children, ages 3 and 6, who were riding scooters near their home.
• A family of three was killed in Allegheny County during a high-speed pursuit of a drug suspect in 2016.

Many experts and officials are advocating for more restrictive pursuit policies:

• Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, emphasizes the need for proportionality and consideration of the sanctity of life.
• Some researchers argue that the costs to life and property easily outweigh the benefits of recovering cars or finding weapons.

     As the debate continues, law enforcement agencies are being urged to carefully weigh the risks of pursuits against the need to apprehend suspects, especially for non-violent offenses. The lives of innocent bystanders hang in the balance, prompting a growing call for more stringent guidelines and alternative strategies to ensure public safety