Traffic Law Enforcement Packet, Campaign Safe and Sober Pursuit Policy Table of Contents Business Reply Card Air Bag Success Stories Rescue Procedures for Air Bag-Equipped Vehicles Public Info. Operating a law enforcement vehicle in a pursuit situation exposes the officer, the suspect, and the public to the greatest degree of danger and risk of injury. Injuries and deaths that result from law enforcement vehicle crashes exceed those that result from armed confrontations. The pursuit ends when the motorist stops or when the officer discontinues the attempt to apprehend. Operating a law enforcement vehicle in a pursuit situation is a highly stressful and demanding experience.
Pursuits involve unique responsibilities and critical decision-making requirements.
During the pursuit, officers must rely on their maturity, patience, experience, and training while being governed by statutory law and agency policy. Pursuit driving should never be viewed as a contest between the violator and the officer. In 1995, IACP passed a resolution regarding vehicular pursuits and asked their Highway Safety Committee to draft a model policy. The committee concluded that asking law enforcement agencies to adopt a single standardized policy on pursuits was impractical. However, the committee felt there were a number of issues that every pursuit policy should address, and they sought to identify and define those issues.