Published December 13. 2020 12:01AM
Lee Elci's comments about the police pursuit policy epitomizes the danger of writing about something you know nothing about, “Micromanaging police gives criminals the advantage,” (Dec. 9). The Uniform Statewide Pursuit Policy he castigates reflects long-standing policies in practice for many years. A police pursuit is a use of force and must be balanced by the nature of the offense, based upon the officer's knowledge at the time of the incident, and the need to apprehend the offender. Any police pursuit is dangerous. A high-speed pursuit should be considered a use of deadly force.
An attempt to apprehend suspect for a property crime may not justify a high-speed pursuit. The same is true for a motor vehicle offense, unless it is immediately apparent that the vehicle's operation is in itself a serious risk to public safety.