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https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27432/critical-issues-in-transportation-for-2024-and-beyond

POLICY FOR POLICE PURSUITS

Of the many complex management issues facing modern police administrators, few are as controversial as high speed pursuits. Public accountability quite properly places demands upon police to explain why and under what circumstances police will be allowed to pursue motor vehicles at high speed, thereby giving rise to potentially hazardous and sometimes lethal consequences. Until very recently it was universally assumed that police would automatically pursue law breakers, but now some police departments in Canada, the USA and Ireland have declared a policy of non pursuit because of the dangers involved. With part of the police charter being the detection of offenders, this course can be seen as being quite drastic: it certainly highlights the level of concern police managers afford this vexed question. In Australia, police are frequently involved in pursuits. Despite the attention given by management over the years, high speed pursuits still present many problems which remain unresolved. Problems which have still to be addressed include: the real hazard of death and injury to participants as well as bystanders; policy for members which is insufficiently educative and provides only limited guidelines; the proficiency of police drivers; and the insufficient attention that is paid to the police driver's culpability at law. (TRRL)

  • Availability:
  • Corporate Authors:

    National Police Research Unit, South Australia

    P.O. Box 370
    Marden, South Australia,   Australia 
  • Authors:
    • MURRAY, J
  • Publication Date: 1987

Media Info

  • Features: References;
  • Pagination: p. 5-55
  • Serial:

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00491532
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: ARRB
  • Files: ITRD, TRIS, ATRI
  • Created Date: Mar 31 1990 12:00AM