This effort addresses law enforcement vehicular pursuit policy issues, including factors to consider when initiating, conducting, and terminating a vehicular pursuit. Techniques discussed in pursuit policy workshops are consistent with the International Association of Chiefs of Police guidelines.
Facts About Pursuits
Due to the growing number of police pursuits and related injuries and deaths in the past two decades, there has been extensive research on the risks and benefits of pursuits. According to a National Institute of Justice (NIJ) study:
• 91 percent of agencies have a hand written pursuit policy; however, more than half of these agencies have not modified their policy within 2 years prior to the study.
Training that focuses on skills and procedures regarding pursuits is limited. According to the NIJ study:
• 60 percent of agencies provide entry-level driver training during academy, for officers in service, agencies offer approximately 3 hours of continuing education focused on the mechanics of pursuit driving.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation reports that between 1987-2006,
• vehicle-related incidents were the most likely cause of law enforcement officer deaths while on-duty, which account for almost 37 percent. There were 968 law enforcement deaths as a result of a automobile, motorcycle, or aircraft accidents.
The NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) indicates that,
• in 2007, there were more fatalities as a result of police pursuits than any other year, reaching a total of 424 deaths.
Recognizing that pursuit driving is a very dangerous activity, police departments around the United States have begun to change their perspective of pursuits and their understanding of pursuit policy and training. This research has prompted programs such as this, which encourage departments across the country to analyze current pursuit policies and training requirements.
