c-rex
08-04-2006, 10:43 PM
So one of the traditions we have at poker night is to either watch police chases or action movies. OVer the last few we've been focused on police chases and I've noticed a rather disturbing trend, at least in the chases that make it on TV. So I've been debating the morals of police chases with my friends and if we need better rules to force the police not to chase people.
For example I saw one where two guys were pulled over because they were suspected of having some weed in the trunk. The cop is talking to the guys, asking for permission to search the vehicle when suddenly the suepects flip out and take off, leading to a police chase. The chase ends when the suspects are dpoing about 80 miles an hour down the wrong side of the road, clip a bystander's car and spin out. Now I was sitting there thinking "The hell is this? If that had been a head on impact the man and woman that the fleeing car hit would likely be in the ER or dead right now, all because the cops were chasing people who <i>might</i> have a little reefer in their trunk." To me that seems a little messed up, the mission of the police force is to protect and serve, and chasing after nonviolent offenders doesn't really seem to do that. I made a little list of some bullshit police chases I saw:
Three teenagers in a car they hotwired driving through LA with six cruisers after them. The teenagers were weaving, running at high speeds through a school zone and crap like that. The entire chase was filmed from the LA police helicopter. Why not have the police helicopter shadow the car? You already have a high powered camera in the helicpter so you it can hang back and keep an eye on the suspects from a distance. Have the helicopter guide cruisers and wait for the car thieves to get out for a soda, a piss, whatever and then the cruisers can sprint up, surround the car and grab the guys when they come out of the local 7-11. For bonus points you can even do police work and use the helicopter to see where they take the car to dispose of it, then you can grab the guys who steal the car and the guys who sell the car. To me this seems to be a much better option that a high speed chase through the streets of the LA.
The second one that really annoyed me was a pick up truck that was going to be pulled over for a tail light out and took over. As the cop is chasing it he calls in the plate and control informs him the truck belongs to a guy who is likely running because he owes child support since aside from that his record is clean. They have the guy's home address and everything on file. I'm pretty sure this guy is not the smartest tool in the shed and likely will go home again, so why terminate the pursuit, stake out the guys house and when he pulls into his driveway grab him. You have have the local SWAT Team beat him senseless for being a dead beat dad and running from the cops than take him off to jail. Much better than a high speed chase through some suburban housing division.
On the other hand there was a situation where an Ohio trooper pulled over a pickup for having out of date tags. The men took off and the cops ran them down, turned out the people driving were neonazis and had a small cache of explosives and weapons. So you can never tell exactly why the guy is running. But it seems for a lot these people it endangers society more to chase them then it does to let them go. What do you guys think? I'm really interested if anyone has any LEO history and knows of any policies departments have on this.
For example I saw one where two guys were pulled over because they were suspected of having some weed in the trunk. The cop is talking to the guys, asking for permission to search the vehicle when suddenly the suepects flip out and take off, leading to a police chase. The chase ends when the suspects are dpoing about 80 miles an hour down the wrong side of the road, clip a bystander's car and spin out. Now I was sitting there thinking "The hell is this? If that had been a head on impact the man and woman that the fleeing car hit would likely be in the ER or dead right now, all because the cops were chasing people who <i>might</i> have a little reefer in their trunk." To me that seems a little messed up, the mission of the police force is to protect and serve, and chasing after nonviolent offenders doesn't really seem to do that. I made a little list of some bullshit police chases I saw:
Three teenagers in a car they hotwired driving through LA with six cruisers after them. The teenagers were weaving, running at high speeds through a school zone and crap like that. The entire chase was filmed from the LA police helicopter. Why not have the police helicopter shadow the car? You already have a high powered camera in the helicpter so you it can hang back and keep an eye on the suspects from a distance. Have the helicopter guide cruisers and wait for the car thieves to get out for a soda, a piss, whatever and then the cruisers can sprint up, surround the car and grab the guys when they come out of the local 7-11. For bonus points you can even do police work and use the helicopter to see where they take the car to dispose of it, then you can grab the guys who steal the car and the guys who sell the car. To me this seems to be a much better option that a high speed chase through the streets of the LA.
The second one that really annoyed me was a pick up truck that was going to be pulled over for a tail light out and took over. As the cop is chasing it he calls in the plate and control informs him the truck belongs to a guy who is likely running because he owes child support since aside from that his record is clean. They have the guy's home address and everything on file. I'm pretty sure this guy is not the smartest tool in the shed and likely will go home again, so why terminate the pursuit, stake out the guys house and when he pulls into his driveway grab him. You have have the local SWAT Team beat him senseless for being a dead beat dad and running from the cops than take him off to jail. Much better than a high speed chase through some suburban housing division.
On the other hand there was a situation where an Ohio trooper pulled over a pickup for having out of date tags. The men took off and the cops ran them down, turned out the people driving were neonazis and had a small cache of explosives and weapons. So you can never tell exactly why the guy is running. But it seems for a lot these people it endangers society more to chase them then it does to let them go. What do you guys think? I'm really interested if anyone has any LEO history and knows of any policies departments have on this.