# Can anyone justify car chases? (involving the police) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 29, 2002, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462 "2002-12-29T03:42:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/1 "2002-12-29T03:42:55Z")
If you don’t chase him HE WON’T RUN! Understand? Right now I am watching complete madness on TV. And it’s not the criminal that is mad - the criminal is just a frightened irrational person - It’s the police! The police have all the power in this situation. They **choose** to make the situation a dangerous one. Only a very warped criminal would endanger the lives of pedestrians if not being chased. I watched a pile up caused by a criminal losing control - a criminal being chased at ‘point blank’ range. The police get out of the car and say “let’s check for survivors” They KNEW their stupidity might have killed people! I saw a police car ram an escapee into a fucking gas pump! how fucking stupid is that!. If it is true that police chases have been banned - then I am sooo glad. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/2 "2002-12-29T04:02:30Z")
And if they don’t chase him, he’ll merrily turn himself in the next day, and send the officers bouquets of posies for their time. Not that I’m in favor of police chases. They are, in most cases, dangerous far out of proportion to their usefulness. Now, if you’re chasing down a murderer or something, that’s one thing, but the people who flip out after being sirened for a traffic violation really don’t need to be pursued with a high-speed chase through a busy street. It’s not all the cop’s fault, either. The criminal makes some damn stupid mistakes, too. He COULD turn himself in. I mean, really, do people ever get away in these chases? You either get chased down and pulled over, or you get the fuck rammed out of you in a horrific crash. It’s a lose-lose situation. Why do the stupid motherfuckers do it in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![vandal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/858c86/32.png) [@vandal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vandal)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/3 "2002-12-29T04:22:16Z")
Can anyone justify car chases? Well, that depends. If a suspect is fleeing to avoid getting caught with the dime bag of pot he has, I think the police could just let that one go. On the other hand, if there’s a criminal who is on his way to an elementary school to blow it up, then that’s a different story. So, it boils down to the necessity of the suspect’s capture. As in, how important is it that he be stopped? ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/4 "2002-12-29T04:24:51Z")
I sort of agree with the OP. Why follow the criminal? Just get his plate, get a good glimpse of him, and alert authorities in nearby areas and counties. Then what can the criminal do? ---
**Author:** ![RobertTB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@RobertTB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobertTB)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/5 "2002-12-29T04:36:24Z")
I hope you folks get your way when I turn to a life of crime. ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/6 "2002-12-29T04:46:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Splanky \* > \*\*I sort of agree with the OP. Why follow the criminal? Just get his plate, get a good glimpse of him, and alert authorities in nearby areas and counties. Then what can the criminal do? \*\* What if it was a carjacking? A stolen car? Plates aren’t gonna help. A pursuit is a very dangerous thing. I understand they have them a lot in CA, even televising them. Even for traffic infractions. Don’t see them in NYC. (of course, crosstown traffic in Manhattan averages only 5 or 6 MPH -seriously) Rule of thumb? I’d consider them like a drawn gun. Dangerous. Would you draw your gun for this crime? You have reason to assume a violent felon, a rapist, murderer, etc? Chase him if you think you can do it fairly safely. Dime bag? Red light runner? Let it go. Decision to allow chases or not are decided by local PDs, not nationally. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/7 "2002-12-29T04:50:26Z")
Well which states are they OK in? I saw a news item which said they were banned. I guess I missed them say …“in [state] state” after “car chases have been banned” ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/8 "2002-12-29T05:15:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vandal \* > Can anyone justify car chases? Well, that depends. > > If a suspect is fleeing to avoid getting caught with the dime bag of pot he has, I think the police could just let that one go. Given the cops know before hand just _what_ they’re running for. What if they are running because they just shot Grandma for her social security check? In most cases they dont know just why little Johnny lawbreaker is running > [@](#): > > On the other hand, if there’s a criminal who is on his way to an elementary school to blow it up, then that’s a different story. It’d be swell if the cops had a crystal ball to look at so they could decide wether little Johnny is running because he’s got a dime bag on him,or if he just raped and murdered a 12yr old and he’s on the beginning of a crime spree. > [@](#): > > So, it boils down to the necessity of the suspect’s capture. As in, how important is it that he be stopped? If i was a cop and pulled someone over and they ran. I would be asking myself “why is this guy running so hard?” **Badge??** _man_ there’s _never_ one around when you need one:D ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/9 "2002-12-29T05:18:59Z")
Er… It’s an obvious thing to say, but if cops aren’t allowed to chase people, then running away when you’ve done something illegal is going to be pretty succesful, encouraging people to run who wouldn’t ordinarily run, and basically letting more criminals go. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/10 "2002-12-29T05:25:42Z")
Timothy Mcveigh was pulled over for a minor infraction.Should the cops have given chase had he ran?After all the cop who pulled him over didn’t know who he was pulling over at the time… ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/11 "2002-12-29T05:33:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Splanky \* > Then what can the criminal do? Depends on the resolve of the criminal, Murder,kidnap,rob,etc. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/12 "2002-12-29T05:35:53Z")
**SenorBeef**. Who cares about a stolen car (for instance) if it means a few children are still alive. children that might have been smashed to pieces by a criminal who lost control due to being frightened of the police following close behind. A criminal not being chased might be dangerous, but I am willing to bet that that the vast majority of un-chased criminals would be far far less dangerous (on average) than chased criminals. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/13 "2002-12-29T05:36:35Z")
> [@](#): > > Timothy Mcveigh was pulled over for a minor infraction.Should the cops have given chase had he ran?After all the cop who pulled him over didn’t know who he was pulling over at the time… No, I don’t think that McVeigh should have been chased if he had run unless the police knew that he had committed a felony – to put it mildly. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/14 "2002-12-29T05:37:28Z")
**Tony Montanna** So are we to chase down all the people who haven’t commited a single crime, but might one day blow up a city? ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/15 "2002-12-29T05:44:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lobsang \* > \*\ ***Tony Montanna** So are we to chase down all the people who haven’t commited a single crime, but might one day blow up a city? \*\* How would one know they didn’t commit a crime if they’re running for the border? ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/16 "2002-12-29T05:47:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoe \* > \*\*No, I don’t think that McVeigh should have been chased if he had run unless the police knew that he had committed a felony – to put it mildly. \*\* I’d say it was a felony,but how would I(if I were a cop)know? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/17 "2002-12-29T06:01:41Z")
How about if the ground units drop out of a high speed chase after brief pursuit and let the chopper track the suspect, all the time vectoring the nearest ground units towards him? It is damn hard to shake a helicopter in a vehicle. If he gets out and runs, then the chase is back on, as soon as the ground units can get there. If he forces another car off the road and carjacks it, well, too bad for that citizen. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/18 "2002-12-29T06:10:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ringo \* > ]How about if the ground units drop out of a high speed chase after brief pursuit and let the chopper track the suspect, all the time vectoring the nearest ground units towards him? It is damn hard to shake a helicopter in a vehicle. Looks good on paper,if the police have the resources. [qoute] If he gets out and runs, then the chase is back on, as soon as the ground units can get there. If he forces another car off the road and carjacks it, well, too bad for that citizen. [/QUOTE] Well thats just too damned bad for the citizen isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/19 "2002-12-29T06:23:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ringo \* > \*\* If he forces another car off the road and carjacks it, well, too bad for that citizen. \*\* Sounds like a volunteer here… Can we get you to put a sign on your car so they will choose you instead of me? Why do not the citizens block him for the police? Maybe they want law and order without costing much? Maybe we should make being a police officer worth while in $$$ and respect? What a concept? Might get more law and order that way? Any ideas on the number of felons caught in routine traffic stops? Might surprise you. All who are willing for the murderer of a family member to get away when they are lighted up for a traffic violation please raise your hands. (May we tell your children what you have decided?) It is all cost / benefit driven. It should be decided in house and the public should not know the policy. Then we might not have EVERYBODY running. Nah, we have the need / right to know. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462/20 "2002-12-29T06:24:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Well thats just too damned bad for the citizen isn’t it? That’s my point. The helicopter approach I mentioned might do away with some of the high-speed shennanigans while still allowing for a conclusion of the event with a successful arrest. But, the cop in the chopper is unable to intercede in events on the ground, so there’s some uncontrolled moments whenever the suspect finally (and it _will_ happen eventually) exits the vehicle. Plenty of time for more mayhem. So, not a perfect solution by any means; but perhaps better than unrestricted chases. I certainly could not see not allowing any police pursuits. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-justify-car-chases-involving-the-police/145462.md?page=2)