Harborwolf
That number is a bit misleading. I refers to the reason a chase was initiated. In other words, the other 20% was due to say warrants, or a connection to a felony.
But within that 80%, after apprehension it might still be determined that the actors also have warrants et al.
“It” refers… :rolleyes:
If all he’s seen is a minor infraction in which someone took a few feet too many to get back into their own lane, then I don’t think a 140 mph chase for ten miles is in any way reasonable.
That’s exactly the kind of puffed-chest crap that has made me dislike an ever increasing number of cops out there.
So because the cop who chased you was an irresponsible Barney Fife on steroids, you think that means I believe nobody should try to stop a person who is driving down the sidewalk?
What I said was that the risk he put the public to in order to catch someone who committed a very minor violation was overkill, unnecessary, and bullshit. I’m willing to accept that some percentage of the time, it’s a major bad guy who didn’t use his turn signal while changing lanes and he’s going to get away, because the vast majority of the time it’s going to be a regular person who did some kind of less-than-misdemeanor moving violation that my life will be put in jeopardy to catch.
Fuck that. I’d rather the cops not try to play commando on two lane country roads at 140 mph over some bullshit like missing a no-passing zone by three feet. My safety is more important than some god damn ticket.
Yes.
No.
I first thought of the scene in S.W.A.T. where the bad guy tries to flee in a car, leading to the inevitable chase sequence, but crashes into another as he backs up. Sometimes, movies make more sense than real life. 
:dubious:
An unadulterated HELL no. Bad guy no run, cop no chase, girl scout goes on selling cookies. Nothing in the world is easier than that. :rolleyes: Bad guys can’t be allowed to run, or guess what? They will, and from every cop, every time, because they will get away with it. Bad things happen because bad people make them happen, and there are sometimes unpleasant consequences to those things. Place the blame where it belongs.
Tranquilis, I hope you’re taking notes on this. This is a good response right heah/
If the cop figures “hey somebody might get hurt.” and quit the pursuit, Little Sally the Match Girl wouldn’t be run over. 
Whoops, must’ve pressed the wrong button. It’s been a loooooong day. :smack:
To respond to the quote in the first post…
jimpatro, that’s a good point. I was not able to find any stats on how many were had actually committed a more severe crime and were caught due to the moving violation. I’m leaning towards a low number withing that 80%, but it’s hard to say.
This does leave the question of success rate vs. risk. You don’t want to let too many chases go because that let’s people think if they drive fast enough they can get away. On the other hand, it’s fairly clear that pursuits are very dangerous, leading towards property damage and injury/death.
Like I said earlier, I’m not for abolishing the chase. It serves a purpose. We just need better rules regarding what justifies high speed pursuits.
Well, that’s a time-saver.
“Vast majority of the time?” Please. I’m no fan of high-speed pursuits, mainly because they can and do present a danger to innocent bystanders. And yeah, I believe that sometimes cop pursuits aren’t conducted well. But c’mon, if you’re going to toss around a blanket condemnation like that, then back it up with a reputable cite.
I listened to my city’s Police Chief boot a cop’s ass closed then chew him a colosotomy hole for ‘hot-dogging’ (his term) a high-speed chase when it wasn’t necessary. As he explained it, there’s a fairly extensive training process to teach officers what almost amounts to a decision flowchart. He lost me on some of the permutations, e.g. proximate offense, identity and locability of violater, probable course of escape (I’m mangling these terms, but you get the idea), etc.
IOW, I know from direct experience that some police departments do weigh relative risks for high-speed pursuits, determine level of neccessity and train the hell out of officers to evaluate all of it, even quickly and under stress.
It’s already been stated that 80% of these high speed pursuits are intiated for some traffic infraction.
Are you seriously suggesting that they’re all axe murderers who couldn’t get back in their own lane fast enough?
I’m guessing that a very substantial portion of the people that decide to run after being spotted for a minor traffic offense do so for a reason. No one in something close to their right mind would consider running from the cops over a speeding ticket. If they are spotted speeding, are about to be pulled over, and think, “Shit, I have a warrant out for my arrest!” they are much more likely to run.
You’re a real piece of work, catsix. Not an impressive piece of work, mind, but surely an amusing, black-and-white-no-shadings version.
Knock yourself out with paranoia, though. I have absolutely no idea what proportion of cops topple over informed, reasonable responses–and neither do you. It isn’t that easy or clear cut, though you apparently find affirmation and justification in believing otherwise. Though of course you’re armed to the teeth, trained and quite obviously the most experienced badass around, cops included.
Do I trust that every police department/officer has the 1. knowledge, 2. training, 3. wits, self-control and savvy to weigh when a high-speed pursuit is needful? Hell NO. But neither do you. I think too sometimes cops do tear into high-speed pursuits ill-advisedly–and yeah, sometimes from pure macho idiocy. But I’m not that willing to dismiss actual, weighed considerations with “all axe murderers who can’t get into their own lane fast enough.”
Predators and bottom feeders survive by slipping right alongside the rest of us. Believe it or not, cops often know that. Do they always handle the window of opportunity well? HELL no. But they aren’t always dolts and macho cowboys either. I don’t know how many of those chases/takedowns are those windows of opportunity–much less how deftly they’re handled. But neither do you.
But by all means swagger on.
Read danceswithcats post again. He wasn’t running anywhere, but the cop still felt the need to endanger the public at 140 mph over a stretch of ten miles on a two lane road just to catch him.
What was dances offense? He overshot the end of the passing zone by a few feet. That got a cop to do 140 mph for ten miles to catch him?
Buford T. Justice the Jackass may be chasing someone who’s not running.
As for TVeblen’s commentary…
I don’t really think it warrants a point by point response, so I’m not going to give it one. All I have to say is that the experiences I have had with cops have not instilled me with any confidence in them, and quite honestly, the cop in danceswithcats story scares the shit out of me. I’m alarmed that he’s got a badge. His reckless disregard for public safety could not even possibly be justified by the fact that he did catch a criminal because when he was finished putting people at risk of maiming or death with his high speed chase, he didn’t exactly check out the person he had pulled over. He lets the guy who was pulled over go with a warning. So, how exactly did he make anything any safer? What justification was there for his 140 mph chase?
Then you’re satisfied with extrapolating from anecdotal evidence, catsix. I never claimed mine was exclusive or comprehensive. But apparently you know better. That’s just so special. Do enlighten us.
I don’t condone irresponsible high-speed pursuits by cops either. But you claim superior knowledge to support an overwhelming number of them are caused just by routine traffic violations. No other reason; just macho, trigger-happy cops jonsening to drive down and maybe shoot rude drivers.
That’s why there’s been such a marked increase in driver courtesy, right? Forget general idiocy, much less road rage: everybody’s wincing and cringing lest the cops will run 'em down then shoot 'em!
So, 15 cops is too much.
You guys sure do beat around the bush!
I have been saying for years that leading the cops on a chase should get you a year in jail, mandatory.
When it comes to the day that cops don’t chase people and just get the plate number…there is gonna be a MAJOR jump in car theft reports. Not that more cars will be stolen. Just that a lot of people will say “Somebody boosted my car and took it on a joy ride!”
BTW, there was a chase of a kidnapping suspect here on the LA freeways last week. I actually saw it. 10 cop cars chasing a van on the 101 freeway, none of them doing over 20 MPH, if that.
We don’t have high speed pursuit anymore. There’s just too much congestion on the roads.