by Police chases are some of the most dramatic, dangerous, and divisive moments in law enforcement. They make for gripping television, but behind the flashing lights, the screaming sirens, and the high speeds, officers are making split-second decisions that can and do change lives forever.
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Over the years, we’ve shared countless cases where a police chase has ended in property damage, injuries, or worse. But we wanted to know how the officers behind the wheel really feel about these chases.
To that end, we asked several law enforcement professionals about pursuit policies, risks, and why suspects flee in the first place. The responses we received to an open call for law enforcement to react offer insight rarely considered.
Balancing Risks On The Road
Almost every person we heard from acknowledged the danger of pursuits. Despite that, they often stressed just how essential chases are to enforcing the law. One veteran summed it up this way. “Doing 90 through a neighborhood at 6 p.m. for a warrant on parking tickets is probably not worth it. Doing 110 down the freeway for an aggravated assault probably is. There’s never going to be a clear black-and-white answer.”
For many, the question wasn’t whether or not to chase, but rather how to end a chase. Officers pointed to tools like stop sticks, PIT maneuvers, the Grappler, and GPS trackers as ways to shorten pursuits and avoid the 1990s-style hour-long freeway chases that still trouble some parts of the country.
Another officer told us “If an agency trusts its officers with a badge and gun, the authority to take someone’s freedom and even life, then they should trust them to make informed, educated, and proper risk assessments on chases.”
The Fairness Question
Not all arguments on pursuit policy are about tactics. Some are philosophical. Officers repeatedly stressed that limiting chases creates a kind of two-tier justice system. “When you stop chasing the people that run, you’re only policing the people who are decent enough to stop. The folks who learn they can run with no consequences are the very ones we should be catching.”
Others pointed out that minor violations often uncover far more serious crimes. One officer recalled pulling a driver over for an improperly displayed plate, only for the stop to spiral into a pursuit that revealed a stolen gun, drugs, and a child in the car. Another remembered a driver who rolled their vehicle multiple times, only to find the sole offense was never having had a license.
Different States, Different Policies
There are some 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the U.S.A., and pursuit rules are anything but consistent. Some agencies allow officer discretion, other bar chases except in violent felony cases, and rural departments sometimes pursue nearly anyone who runs. One such rural officer said that suspects are “more likely to crash into a cow than another car.” Another noted the awkward reality of chasing near state borders where jurisdictional handoffs can kill a pursuit.
Some officers worried about where policy trends are headed. “I think we are all going to be prohibited from vehicle pursuits at some point, or severely restricted. The only workable solution is a hybrid policy – allowing pursuits, but with good supervisors making case-by-case decisions.”
Exciting, Terrifying, And Sometimes Tragic
For all the talk of policy, the emotional weight of pursuits came through as well. One twenty-year vet admitted that “Early in my career, I loved them. Later in my career, I dreaded them. They’re one of the most exciting and fun parts of the job, but also one of the most dangerous and nerve-racking.”
Another said, “I have been party to a chase that ended in life-altering injury to an innocent woman and her children, and the death of the person fleeing. The chase was initiated for a traffic offense. In other words, I understand restrictive policies.”
The Bottom Line
Talk to 10 officers, and you’ll get 10 perspectives. A few threads seem to run through all of them, though. Suspects usually run for more than a broken taillight. The risk is real and can’t be ignored. And while some agencies push toward strict limits, many officers believe that if criminals know there’s no chance of being chased, more will run, and more victims will end up in their wake.
High-speed pursuits may look like adrenaline-fueled action from the outside, but to the officers inside the car, they’re moments of judgment that balance justice against danger in ways most civilians will never fully see. Sure, lots of agencies are recommending that police engage in high-speed pursuits less, but from inside the patrol car, it’s never that simple.
