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                            Library & Multimedia
 Police Pursuits: What We Know
NCJ Number
              196655

Author(s)
          Geoffrey P. Alpert, Dennis J. Kenney, Roger G. Dunham, William C. Smith
Date Published

January 2000
Length
              219 pages
Annotation
              This study went beyond previous police-pursuit research in
compiling extensive data from four diverse sites and a national
survey; and it examined the issues not only from the police
perspective, but also from the perspectives of the public and
offenders; the study built on some key prior research, examined
liability and risk-management issues, and developed
recommendations for police agencies.
Abstract
              The core of this book is a report on site-specific research
conducted in Miami-Dade County, FL; Omaha, NE; Aiken County,
SC; and Mesa, AZ. By examining police pursuits and pursuit
policies in these four diverse sites, which ranged from major
metropolitan areas to more rural jurisdictions, this research
aimed to provide a more accurate understanding of how police
professionals viewed pursuits in the context of their mission to
provide public protection. The site research also encompassed the
views of citizens and offenders. Among the findings are that
those who flee from the police in vehicles do so regardless of
whether the police respond with a high-speed pursuit; this
challenges the deterrence argument that offenders will not flee
from the police if they know they will be pursued and caught. The
study findings also indicate that most violators who flee from
the police have not committed offenses for which a full custodial
arrest would be customary. Serious offenders were a minority of
those who fled from police. A major discrepancy was found between
police perceptions in pursuit situations and those of the
offenders who initiated the pursuit by fleeing. This book
identifies the elements necessary for a pursuit management plan,
notably a clear policy, specific training, control and
supervision, and accountability. Aspects of a model pursuit
policy are presented, with attention to risk management; and
associated legislation is suggested. Extensive tables, 120
references, and appended checklist for components of a defensible
pursuit policy
      
  
          Additional Details
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        NIJ-Sponsored
    
  
  
Date Published: January 1, 2000
    
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