More statistics are available at Pursuit Response
See and read the full story at USA Today
Another great article about pursuit reduction technology in action.
BYRON, GEORGIA (WCIV) —
by Jon Bruce
Thursday, February 2nd 2017
High speed police chases are among the most dangerous circumstances a law enforcement officer can face. They pose a risk not just for officers and suspects but even innocent people like your family.
Pursuits routinely reach speeds of 100 miles per hour and can end in disaster.
ABC News 4 recently traveled to a small town in Georgia where officers are using a new crime fighting tool to take danger and speed out of the equation.
American audiences for years have tuned to footage of high speed chases playing out on the news. Drivers eager to evade capture will swerve, speed and narrowly miss other cars – crossing lanes and putting the lives of other motorists in danger.
Byron, Georgia Police Chief Wesley Cannon has felt the blood-rushing, adrenaline-pumping thrill and danger of a high speed chase.
“Car chases, I believe are the second biggest danger, but it’s not just a danger for us,” Cannon said. “It’s a danger for every citizen in our community. And a danger to the offender we are chasing.”
The website www.pursuitforchange.org is a national database that tracks chase related fatalities. According to their records, 385 people were killed as a result of police chases in 2014. More than 70 of those people were not even involved with a crime, just folks in the wrong place at the wrong time.
As 23-year veteran of the police force in a town with a long stretch of interstate just outside of Macon, Cannon knew something had to be done to keep those bad guys in check without putting the lives of those he has sworn to protect in danger.
For Byron, the solution came on a chance encounter at a police conference hundreds of miles away in Philadelphia. It was there Chief Cannon first saw the StarChase Pursuit Management System.
StarChase’s website lists the new technology as a tool that “provides pursuit management and GPS tracking technology to public safety and government agencies worldwide. Our patented force multiplying technology empowers law enforcement, mitigates risk and protects communities.”
The StarChase system features a fixed air cannon mounted onto the front of a law enforcement vehicle. It uses a laser guided targeting system to lock onto the suspect vehicle. When a Law enforcement officer is “locked on” StarChase fires a plastic container containing a GPS tracking device.
A strong, non-corrosive adhesive allows the canister to stick onto the fleeing car, and most times a suspect will not even be able to hear it attach.
Sure, it sounds like an expensive tool right out of an action movie. Chief Cannon admits he was immediately intrigued. As luck would have it, his department won a raffle at the convention. The prize – a StarChase system.
“We are always looking at ways to take a danger out of our line of work and make things safer, Cannon said. “And this system to me covers every bit of that when it comes to car chases.”
To say he was impressed is an understatement.
Three years later, StarChase systems are equipped in almost every Bryon, Georgia police car. And Cannon is working to outfit the rest of his fleet.
“I believe that this system should be in every car, in every police car in every department nationwide. I think it’s as necessary as a light bar, a cage, a radar, a radio, as a gun, as a Taser. To me, it is that important to have, Chief Cannon said.
Once tagged, law enforcement officers and dispatchers are able to track the GPS signature via their computers. They can even share the location with neighboring communities and other departments. StarChase representatives say the battery on each tracker lasts about eight hours.
Cannon says the results have been simply astounding. Once the fleeing car has been tagged, his officers will turn off their blue lights and slow down. Once the suspect no longer sees an officer behind, that person will instinctively begin to slow down as the escape reflex and adrenaline fade.
“The officers are able to tag the vehicle and back off immediately,” he said. “Just within miles of them backing off you can see the speed of the vehicle they were chasing go from 100 mph to 90 to 80 to 70 to 60 to 50 and then jump off the interstate then stop.”
Then Byron police officers can simply follow the suspect via their GPS signal until they stop.
“At some point in time everyone is going to have to stop,” he said. “Whether it’s because they want to hide, run out of gas, they are going to stop, they were able to converge on them and place him in custody without incident.”
But in Byron, the chief says StarChase came with an added bonus — a big drop in crime.
“We have been hearing it on the street,” Cannon said. ”They’ve got that GPS gun, you better watch out.”
And that’s exactly why Byron’s top cop says he instructs his officers to be transparent with the new technology.
“I want our criminal’s to know what we have in our arsenals to catch them, he said.” So don’t come to Bryon and commit a crime because if you do and we get behind you we will catch you.”
StarChase is in use at over 100 departments across America and Canada.
The launchers themselves even come with a heating component, which is used to prevent the adhesive from freezing – meaning StarChase can be used in any weather.
StarChase may help reduce the danger that high speed chases create, but it doesn’t take it away completely. Officers, troopers, or deputies still need to get within at least 10 to 20 feet of the fleeing vehicle.
WOULD IT WORK HERE?
Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon says his department saw an increase in the number of police chases in 2016. More and more people are running, and that means more chases.
In 2012, Cannon himself was involved in a high speed chase along several Lowcountry highways. Cannon eventually helped subdue the suspect off Highway 41 in Mount Pleasant.
Soon after the suspect was detained Cannon approached him while handcuffed in the back of a patrol car and slapped him. Cannon says it was a reaction to the suspect putting so many lives in danger.
That suspect it turns out, had run from police before. Sheriff Cannon said he equated the suspect’s blatant disregard for human life that day as someone standing in an intersection with a loaded pistol.
“When you are dealing with someone who is using a car as a deadly weapon, he is just as deadly if not more so, because he’s got 3,000 pounds of metal he is projecting down the highway, then someone firing a firearm,” Cannon said.
Charleston County uses StopSticks and its helicopter to track and subdue chase suspects.
Sheriff Cannon admits GPS tracking or disabling a vehicle’s electronic systems, even drones are the future in pursuit prevention.
“I think the GPS aspect could be a significant game changer,” Sheriff Cannon said. “It certainly is a way to get the information we need and allow us to back off and find a person later.”
Sheriff Cannon admits that he monitors regular testing of new products but that sometimes his hands are tied when it comes purchases, which often need county or municipal approval.
At $5,000 per unit for StarChase, Sheriff Cannon says installing them in Charleston County right now just isn’t feasible.
“I think there are some instances that would be helpful,” Cannon said. “I think it’s early in development yet. I think there is a way to go. And it’s not something that would work in every instance. But the theory of affecting the vehicle’s electronics or GPS tracking, I think will hold the key to address the issue of people running from the police.”
Chief Cannon of Byron thinks otherwise.
A department or a sheriff or a chief that has to budget for this, he said. “You can’t put a value on human life, number one. Your officers, your citizens, or even the bad guy you are chasing. $5,000 is a drop in the bucket to prevent a fatality or serious bodily injury in a car chase. Ninety percent of car chases end up in accidents. It is going to happen, and a high speed accident is a recipe for disaster and $5,000 should not be a consideration.”
Currently, no law enforcement organization in South Carolina uses the StarChase system.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol tested similar equipment but ultimately decided not to purchase it, though they would not tell ABC News 4 why.
Byron Police Chief Wesley Cannon says that he has never had to budget for a StarChase system because “lets his drug dealers pay for them” – using drug seizure money to pay for the equipment.
He hopes to outfit his entire fleet of vehicles with StarChase by the end of the year.
Pursuit For Change is very proud to be part of a terrific new organization, PURSUIT RESPONSE!
Pursuit Response is dedicated to improving law enforcement and community safety during high risk vehicle events. This advisory group brings the latest research, advocacy, education, training and technology resources to law enforcement and the communities they serve.
Pursuit Response is dedicated to improving law enforcement and community safety during high risk vehicle events. This advisory group brings the latest research, advocacy, education, training and technology resources to law enforcement and the communities they serve.
FAAC Incorporated is dedicated to providing the highest fidelity training products on the market. Our core focus is simulation technology that provides Law Enforcement Officers with a life-like virtual training environment. FAAC’s law enforcement training systems help officers train to keep themselves and the public safe in real life situations. This is accomplished by FAAC’s comprehensive in-house team comprised of current and former Law Enforcement Officers, Military Veterans, and Subject Matter Experts dedicated solely to supporting the Public Safety market. With a Customer-for-Life philosophy, we build the relationships necessary to understand, develop, deliver, and support your specific training program.
Launched in 1996, OnStar is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors and offers emergency, security, navigation, connections and vehicle manager services in Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Opel and Vauxhall models. Totaling nearly 10 million customers in North America, Europe, China and South America, OnStar offers a range of standard, subscription and a la carte services such as Advanced Diagnostics, Automatic Crash Response, Stolen Vehicle Assistance, AtYourService, OnStar Smart Driver and 4G LTE Wi-Fi. OnStar works closely with the public safety sector to offer safety and security services to customers. To learn more, visit http://www.onstar.com.
StarChase provides pursuit management and GPS tracking technology to public safety and government agencies worldwide. Our patented force multiplying technology empowers law enforcement, mitigates risk and protects communities. When utilized for high-risk traffic situations, such as DUIs, traffic infractions, stolen vehicles, human trafficking or felony events, StarChase has resulted in zero injuries, zero deaths, no property damage and no liability. StarChase is a privately held company based in Virginia Beach, VA. Applications:
Pursuit for Change is a national police pursuit victims’ advocacy group based in Wisconsin. The organization is focused on policy, legislation, technology and training to reduce unnecessary police chases and save innocent citizen and police officer lives. We’re working towards the following goals:
@PursuitResponse @Pursuit4Change #PoliceChase #PursuitReductionTech
Picture this. A man runs from the police, with four kids in his car, failing to stop when ordered. He strikes an innocent motorist and then careens into a bike rider, killing him.
Our justice system seems to think that this behavior and outcome deserves SEVEN years in prison. Really?
Mr. Graham’s family and friends were sentenced to LIFE WITHOUT WILLIE.
The system is broken and truly needs fixing.
Story link
ST. LOUIS (AP) — A St. Louis man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for fatally striking a bicyclist with his car while fleeing from a traffic stop.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that 23-year-old Glenn Parchmon was sentenced Friday.
Parchmon had pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, resisting arrest and other charges.
Police say that last March, Parchmon fled a traffic stop, ran a stop sign, crashed into a car and swerved on a sidewalk where he struck bicyclist Willie Graham. Graham went into a coma and died several days later.
Police say four children, ages 1 to 4, were in Parchmon’s vehicle at the time.
by JACOB TIERNEY
Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, 12:16 a.m.
The small Fawn Township Police Department doesn’t get involved in many high-speed car chases, but Chief Tim Mayberry remembers chasing down a suspect last year who was wanted in a break-in.
“It went to speeds of over 100 mph,” he said. “If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t do it. It’s not worth the risk.”
There’s almost always a better, safer way to apprehend a suspect than a high-speed car chase, he said.
Mayberry plans to update the township’s pursuit policy within the next month or two, joining several local police departments taking a close look at how they handle car chases.
The issue was highlighted in November, when a man fleeing from police in North Versailles after he was pulled over for making an illegal left turn sped off and crashed into a car, killing two adults and a 2-year-old girl.
Police were considering how best to handle pursuits before the crash. The Allegheny County Chiefs of Police Association regularly updates its suggested policies and revised its model pursuit policy in early 2016.
“A lot of chiefs put a lot of time and efforts into working on best practices,” said association President and Castle Shannon police Chief Kenneth Truver.
The association does not implement policies but instead drafts models and encourages local departments to adopt them.
By state law, each police department must have a policy dictating when officers should “initiate, continue and terminate a motor vehicle pursuit.”
The East Deer commissioners will discuss updating their police department’s pursuit policy at a meeting Thursday, possibly voting to adopt new guidelines based on the chiefs’ association model.
“There (are) a lot of aspects about it that are better,” commissioners Chairman Tony Taliani said. “It basically limits and reduces the situations where you would be in pursuits. Not many good things come from pursuits.”
He does not remember when East Deer’s policy was last updated but said the new model adds many new safeguards.
It lists 13 criteria that must be met for officers to start a chase and six reasons why a chase should be stopped.
It states no more than two police vehicles can be involved in a chase, and officers cannot chase suspects against the flow of traffic.
Mayberry said Fawn’s current policy largely leaves the decision of when to begin and end a chase up to officers.
“Ours is pretty simple, but it’s not as stringent as the other ones that are out there,” he said, adding that making the policy stricter could make the public safer.
Truver said he didn’t want to discuss the specifics of the association’s model policy, because publicizing the details of how officers handle police chases could allow criminals to exploit that knowledge.
“If you have bad intentions and you know what the policy is of an individual agency, you can take action to subvert the intent of that policy,” he said.
State law says departments should keep the details of their pursuit policies confidential.
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala has long called on departments to update and standardize their policies.
Police should initiate a chase only in case of a violent felony or to stop an immediate threat to public safety, according to Zappala.
The North Versailles police pursuit policy says pursuits should be limited to suspects wanted for safety-threatening felonies. The driver involved in the fatal pursuit was wanted on a probation violation.
The chiefs’ association revisited its policy after the crash but decided the recently updated version was stringent enough.
Wisconsin resident Jonathan Farris started the advocacy group Pursuit for Change after his son, Paul, died in a car crash in Massachusetts in 2007. Paul was in a taxi, and the driver who hit his vehicle was being chased by police.
Pursuit for Change calls for stricter and more consistent policies nationwide, as well as better record-keeping about crashes related to police chases.
“It seems like there are way too many pursuits that could be resolved in a different way,” he said. “They can get that person another time.”
Police departments are not required to submit reports on chase-related fatalities to any government agency.
The most comprehensive recent analysis was a 2015 report by USA Today, which found 11,500 deaths in high-speed chases from 1979 to 2013, including 374 in Pennsylvania.
Henry Wiehagen, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 91, which represents officers in Allegheny County, said stricter rules are a good thing. A chase can escalate a bad situation, he said.
“You’re better off letting the individual go,” said Wiehagen, former chief of the North Braddock Police Department. “When you put that red light and that siren on, it might make him go faster.”
Jacob Tierney is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-6646 or jtierney@tribweb.com.
http://triblive.com/local/valleynewsdispatch/11757116-74/police-pursuit-policy
ORIGINAL ARTICLE at Motor Authority
12/16/2016
by Kirk Bell
What’s the best kind of high-speed chase? The one that doesn’t happen, or at least the one that is over quickly.
A pursuit aid called StarChase may help the police end pursuits quickly. StarChase LLC has released the third generation of its Star Chase GPS Launcher system, and it can fool “perps” into thinking they got away from the cops.
The system works by firing “launcher barrels” that stick to the fleeing vehicle. These barrels pin a GPS signal to the suspect’s vehicle that the police can follow from inside their cruiser. The police can then follow from a safe distance, making the perps think they have given up the chase. Finally, the police can pick the right time to pin down the offenders in a safe manner and make the arrest. No more high-speed chases and the dangers to society they pose.
Each StarChase system costs about $5,000, so it isn’t cheap, and that doesn’t include the cost of the launcher barrels. Those barrels may also not stick in inclement weather, so this isn’t a fool-proof system, However, StarChase could prevent some high-speed chases from getting out of control and that’s a good thing.
The following is a blog by Kelly Farley, the author of Grieving Dads: To The Brink And Back. Kelly lost two children. He provides excellent insight to the difficulties of managing our lives after the loss of a child.
Here’s a link to Kelly’s website and this particular blog. I also recommend that you purchase and read his book.
https://grievingdads.com/2016/12/15/only-us-by-kelly-farley/#comment-13958
Last night yet another police officer was gunned down by a man using children as a shield. http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/01/us/tacoma-officer-shot/
This officer represents the 132nd LEO killed in 2016, and there is still a month left in the year. I really hope more people begin to get riled up about the loss of police officers’ lives, too, because it and they truly matter.
So, just in case you don’t know how bad it is, take a moment to read the names of the WAY TOO MANY officers killed in the line of duty in 2016 (listing from www.ODMP.org as of this morning). Please visit the Officer Down Memorial Page website to learn much more.
Pray for their families and friends, whose lives will NEVER be the same…
@Below100 @Pursuit4Change #StopTheViolence #ODMP
Surveillance video from a business along Route 30 obtained by Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 shows the suspect’s white car speeding down the road toward Route 48 just minutes before the crash. A North Versailles police cruiser can be seen trailing the car by only a matter of seconds.
Detectives from the Allegheny County Police Department have been working to obtain that video while investigating the incident.
Many have also questioned whether officers should have been pursuing the car. The suspect, Demetrius Coleman, was wanted for felony probation violation related to a drug charge, but not for a violent crime.
North Versailles police have not revealed their policy for initiating or continuing a chase. An officer reached at the department Monday said the chief would not be in until Wednesday.
East McKeesport police chief Russell Stroschein released his agency’s policy early Monday. It limits pursuits to “those situations which involve the attempted apprehension of persons wanted for the commission of felonious acts that threaten, have threatened, or will threaten the health, life, or safety, of a person.”
Jonathan Farris, founder of Pursuit for Change, a group that advocates for changes to police chase policies, said from the information he has seen, he doesn’t believe the North Versailles pursuit was justified.
“There was nothing going on at that point in time that made that person dangerous enough to instigate a pursuit which put other people in danger, and in fact ultimately killed three innocent citizens,” Farris said.
His group recommends that chases be reserved for violent offenders, and that police departments employ better technology to stop fleeing suspects without having to pursue them. Also, he believes police departments should better coordinate their policies to line up with each other.
“They need to have more consistency,” Farris said. “This is really important within a geographic area, because what often happens is there isn’t consistency.”
Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 called every North Versailles township commissioner Monday. No one would speak on camera about the crash or their police department’s policy, but some did say the issue would be a major topic at their next meeting.
The Allegheny County district attorney is also gathering information about the case, and could make a statement on it later this week.
by Jonathan Farris, Chief Advocate, Pursuit For Change
It’s a 2016 holiday weekend – Thanksgiving to be exact. And your kids and grandchild will be at your house very soon.
But now it’s an hour after they were supposed to arrive. You’ve called their cell phones, but the calls go straight to voicemail. I wonder where they could be?
For the families of David Lee Bianco and his fiancee Kaylie Meininger and their young daughter, they will scream and cry when they receive ‘the call’ from authorities, telling them their son, their daughter, and their granddaughter are all dead.
The pain is unimaginable. The heartache is unbearable. And the question “WHY?” will be asked over and over and over again.
I wish I could ease their pain, but I cannot. And for these families and their friends, Thanksgiving will forever be a time of sorrow and not celebration.
Over and over and over again this story plays out. Innocent people, simply going about their lives, are killed by someone who decides to flee from law enforcement.
And over and over and over again law enforcement chases. In the case of violent felonies, perhaps there are no other means to catch the perpetrator.
But in the case of non-violent felons, known criminals, or those committing misdemeanor violations such as speeding or an illegal u-turn, there are thousands of pursuits. Some statistics indicate more than 80 percent of police chases are for non-violent actions by the person running.
Are there other means for catching bad guys while not putting citizens at risk? The answer is a resounding YES!
We need more law enforcement agencies to tighten up their pursuit policies – generally limiting chases to all but violent felonies. We need for law enforcement to have significantly more driver training, because unlike weapons training, behind-the-wheel or in-simulator driving simply isn’t practiced enough. And we need law enforcement to begin to use more pursuit reduction technology, allowing them to apprehend criminals without engaging in pursuits that endanger innocent bystanders and the officers themselves. We simply must reduce the thousands and thousands of chases occurring annually.
You may not agree with me, and I get that. But if YOU were the family who received THAT CALL, I suspect your opinion would change.
image from Pittsburg Post-Gazette
Nov. 14, 2016
Pursuit For Change Chief Advocate, Jon Farris, will be attending WINx 2016 in Chicago this week.
During the past few years I’ve been significantly more engaged with the law enforcement community. I have to say that the more time I spend with these professionals, the more I am able to balance my perspective about reducing unnecessary police chases while recognizing the needs and challenges LEOs face getting bad players off the streets.
This year I’ve attended many police training sessions, a national police chief’s conference and this week, WINx 2016 in Chicago. So why do this? Perhaps a blurb from the WINx site may help explain:
I’m excited to spend time with a group of dedicated law enforcement professionals and speakers. For me, Pursuit For Change and saving innocent bystander and law enforcement officer lives is critical; perhaps now more than ever (WIN).
These events allow me to continue my life-long journey of learning (knowledge). These events allow me to meet and better understand individuals who lead very different lives than I do (relationships).
And, hopefully, personal and Pursuit For Change activities, such as WINx, can bring me greater inner peace to balance everything that life’s tossed in my direction.
by: Stephanie Coueignoux, Jason Solowski Updated:
BOSTON – There’s a new high tech device that could help cut back on dangerous police pursuits. It’s called StarChase and one local police department is the first in New England to equip their vehicles with it.
“Nov. 2 will be the 10th birthday of Paul’s we missed because he’s dead. And it really doesn’t change much. You learn to manage it,” Jonathan Farris says.
The pain of losing his son Paul is still as raw as it was the night he died in May 2007 when Paul was 23 years old. That night, Massachusetts State Police were chasing a suspect through Somerville after he made an illegal U-turn.
”They were in a taxi and they were T-boned by the SUV that was running away from the police officer. Paul was actually ripped from the taxi, died there on site,” said Farris, who spoke with us by Skype from his Wisconsin home.
“I hear the chase and I get a pit in my stomach” said Methuen Police Chief Joe Solomon. He told FOX25 that some weeks his officers respond to as many as five chases each day.
Here in Massachusetts each police department has its own chase policy. In Methuen, officers can only pursue for a serious offense like a robbery or murder.
“God forbid there was a death and particularly with wrong way drivers, it just leads to too much potential injury” said Solomon.
Solomon is now looking to new GPS tracking technology called StarChase as an alternative to high speed chases. The Methuen Police Department is the first agency in New England to use it.
“If someone starts to take off we activate it at a certain point it arms it. It has a laser control on it. You aim you fire and it shoots a dart out. It attaches to the vehicle wherever you shot it. “ said Solomon.
StarChase is mounted in the grill of the police cruiser. After the dart attaches to the suspects’ vehicle, the officer can back off and track the suspect. Solomon tells us when police back off, the suspect usually will stop driving erratically.
He says any police agency can then log into their computer and track the vehicle, allowing them to coordinate with other agencies, and create perimeters miles ahead minimizing the need for an actual chase.
“This is just one more tool in our toolbox that hopefully in the right situation and the right time we deploy it, it could save someone’s life.” Solomon said
According to StarChase, the technology has resulted in an 80 percent apprehension rate, that’s compared to a 70 percent national average. The company also says the technology has resulted in no injuries or death.
Methuen Police gave FOX25 a demonstration on a blocked off road. Three times the GPS training dart stuck to the chase vehicle. Only once did the device fail to stick. Methuen police said that could be because of weather, proximity, and officer training.
It’s a situation other police departments have encountered. Dash cam video showed a police officer in Duluth, GA trying and failing twice to attach a GPS tracker to a suspect’s car back in 2012.
The officer continued to pursue the suspect driving at speeds up to 100 miles per hour. The suspect switched lanes, crashed into another car, seriously injuring that driver, and killing himself.
Which is why Farris believes an officer’s judgment still needs to be the first line of defense.
“Part of the whole advocacy idea- I want to change policies. I’d like to see stricter policies in play.” He said
Farris says this technology is a step in the right direction, but until every police pursuit policy is improved, he’s promised to keep fighting.
“I’m hoping someday I hear Paul’s voice in my head saying: You done good, dad. And you can take a rest now. I know he’d be proud.” Farris said.
This technology raises questions about the 4th amendment and privacy.
According to the ACLU, it supports this technology so long as the device is used when there is probable cause, and removed once the suspect is caught.
Methuen Police Officers are now going through training on how to use the StarChase technology. Chief Solomon plans on debuting the system to other police departments on Friday for “New England Public Safety Day.”
NEVER. STOP. PUSHING. #MethuenPolice #PursuitReductionTech. #P4C #StephanieFOX25
by Jonathan Farris
I live in a different world than many of you.
For ten years my spouse and I have taken November 2nd as a remembrance day. As a rest day. Generally as a be-by-ourselves day.
Our son Paul should be celebrating his 33rd birthday on November 2nd, but because of a truly unnecessary police pursuit, he celebrates no more. Nor do we. Family and friends help keep his memory alive, but there are no more celebrations. 2016 is the 10th no-celebration birthday.
To those of you who have lost a child, I hope that your memories help you find some inner peace.
For those of you who are able to celebrate special days with your children, give them an extra long hug now and again, because life is much more fragile than you can possibly imagine.
Paul’s birthday 1988
Paul’s birthday 1993, with Scott
Paul’s birthday 1995, with Scott, Dan, Ben,
Matt, Kevin & Chris
by Jonathan Farris
I’m an advocate. I work to reduce bystander and officer injuries and deaths caused during pursuits. As a result I typically focus on pursuits gone wrong or those I consider to be dangerous or unnecessary.
However, please do not think that I harbor ill will to the law enforcement community. I do not. In fact, it’s just the opposite of that.
Over the past several years I’ve had a chance to work with a number of amazing law enforcement professionals. These folks are dedicated to saving law enforcement officer (LEO) lives, which in turn will save innocent bystander lives.
Weapons-related incidents and shootings are most often picked up by the media, but in a typical year more officers are injured or killed while in their squad cars. That often happens due to lack of seatbelt usage, driving faster than is reasonably safe, police pursuits of all types, and more.
Even though there are still too many unnecessary pursuits in which innocent bystanders or LEOs are hurt or killed, this represents a minuscule percentage of total miles driven by officers annually.
So let me simply say “THANKS” to law enforcement professionals across the globe. I could not do your jobs; but know I am personally grateful that you can and do.
by Jonathan Farris
I’m not a fan of surprises. Not in business and not in my personal life. But as a dad whose son was killed in 2007, my personal life continues to serve up an endless sea of surprises – often in the form of tears.
It doesn’t matter that Paul died nearly ten years ago. It doesn’t matter that we’ve learned to go about our lives without him. The emotion of suddenly losing a child simply never abates. That emotion may not be quite as close to the surface as immediately following the death, but it is always lurking nearby.
A few days ago, while cleaning around the house, I opened a cabinet and found a box of condolence cards. I wanted to read some of them, but I didn’t make it through the first one before another complete meltdown.
It sucks. It’s not fair. But there aren’t any options other than learning to deal with the tears that you can’t control.
Box of sympathy cards and notes from 2007
Pursuit For Change Chief Advocate, Jonathan Farris, will be attending the 2016 IACP Annual Conference and Exposition in San Diego.
Please contact him at Jon@PursuitForChange.org if you are attending and able to meet and visit. Jon will also attend this year’s Highway Safety Awards Breakfast on October 18th. We hope to see you there.
Learn more about the conference at http://www.theiacpconference.org
Each day we read about many police chases. A huge number of those are to pursue stolen vehicles.
Chasing a stolen car or truck ALWAYS puts innocent bystanders at risk of injury or death. At Pursuit For Change we talk about that issue all the time. And as a result, we continue to push for stricter pursuit policies allowing chases for only violent-felony crimes and not for misdemeanors or property-related felonies.
Of course, nearly every time an innocent bystander is hurt or killed, that jurisdiction (city, county or state) can expect to be sued. Often the settlements, after years of litigation expenses, are in the millions of dollars. This is yet another reason to pursue only violent felons who are posing an immediate threat to the public prior to and throughout the chase.
However, very few in law enforcement and the media discuss the monetary and social implications of non-injury pursuits.
Much more often when law enforcement chases a stolen vehicle, the bad guy is apprehended after crashing that stolen car or truck. Well at least there are no “injuries” other than those of the thief, right?
Perhaps that’s not really the case.
Every police chase that results in a crash costs the innocent citizen. Yet this is hardly ever talked about. Think about this following scenario.
A thief steals Ms. Goodperson’s 2008 Chevrolet Impala one night. The next morning, when Ms. Goodperson heads out to work, she’s appalled to find that her car is gone! She calls the police and reports the theft.
Several hours later an officer spots her stolen vehicle, driving at the speed limit down a local street. The officer attempts to pull the vehicle over, but instead of stopping, the bad guy speeds away. The officer makes a decision to engage in a high-speed chase.
In this case, after a dangerous pursuit lasting ten minutes and speeding through intersection after intersection, the thief loses control of the car and crashes into a telephone pole. Luckily, no innocent bystanders are hurt.
Now, if Ms. Goodperson is lucky enough to have auto insurance (comprehensive coverage specifically), then she can report the theft to her insurance company and get a settlement for that theft.
In our example, this 2008 Chevrolet Impala has a retail market value in the $5,000 to $6,000 range. Assuming the vehicle is indeed totaled during this police chase, then Ms. Goodperson can (hopefully) just pay her deductible and the insurance company will be out several thousand dollars.
But what if Ms. Goodperson is more like so many fine, hard-working folks across the country. She struggles to make her family’s financial ends meet every month. So she is regularly forced to make difficult decisions where every single dollar is spent.
A few months back, Ms. Goodperson spoke with her insurance agent and decided to save some money and drop comprehensive insurance coverage on her eight year old car. This, too, is a very common scenario in the insurance world.
Because Ms. Goodperson no longer has comprehensive insurance coverage, she immediately becomes a different type of innocent citizen when her car is stolen and crashed during a police chase. Now all expenses related to the stolen car must be born by the owner.
What does that mean? Well, Ms. Goodperson is about to get a really bad deal.
The author of this insightful Op Ed is my dear friend and supporter, Ellen Deitz Tucker.
Posted Jul 27, 2016
http://www.gastongazette.com/opinion/20160727/every-similar-fatality-should-make-us-examine-police-pursuit-policies
Last Saturday I joined the crowd celebrating Belmont’s dedication of a beautiful riverfront park to the memory of Kevin Loftin, a former mayor who dedicated countless hours to bettering his hometown. As Richard Boyce (another former mayor) said, the city honored Kevin’s unifying vision of a park that would give free riverfront access to all.
But at the very same time, the public safety problem that killed Kevin and my sister Donna was replaying itself nearby. A driver pursued for shoplifting was colliding with an innocent driver on Franklin Boulevard in Gastonia. Those bystanders would need hospital treatment. The fleeing driver’s passenger would die in the crash. I would later read that the fleeing thief would be charged with “misdemeanor homicide.”
The man who struck Kevin’s car got a double charge of second degree murder. When I asked DA Locke Bell why, he said, “First of all, this is personal. I knew Kevin well and served with him on charitable boards.”
Since Donna and Kevin’s deaths, every pursuit-related fatality feels personal to me. Study of the issue has taught me that passengers in fleeing vehicles are seldom counted among the innocents who die in pursuits. Passengers are treated as accomplices, even when they are helpless captives in a car driven by a remorseless madman.
The Kevin I knew would say that the life of the woman who died was worth as much as his own. He’d also say that no human life should be put at risk to catch a fleeing shoplifter. Surveillance video and the license plate number would have enabled police to catch this thief later, after he stopped driving.
Ellen Deitz Tucker
My original submission title was My Pursuit To Reduce Police Chases. It was changed by USA Today to Police can kill with more than guns. After additional discussion it was revised to Police chases can kill.
My son died after being hit during a high-speed chase. Yet there is no tough federal law that regulates how cops pursue.
I’m that dad who received a 4 a.m. telephone call telling me that my son was dead.
Paul Farris was an innocent victim killed when police chased an SUV into a densely populated residential area outside Boston. The SUV crashed into the taxi in which Paul was riding, killing him, killing the taxi driver and critically injuring Paul’s girlfriend. Why? Because police decided to chase a man with a suspended license who made an illegal U-turn and refused to stop when the officer attempted to pull him over. A misdemeanor traffic violation is the reason my 23-year-old son died.
That was in 2007.
Turning anger into action
To manage my grief and anger, I needed to do something other than traditional therapy. I began researching police pursuits. What I discovered was horrifying.
Police pursue suspects in thousands of chases causing hundreds of deaths per year. Yet there are only weak, inconsistent policies regulating proper tracking and reporting of pursuit-related deaths. Between 1979 and 2015, more than 5,000 people were killed during high-speed chases, according to a USA TODAY special investigation published last year. And nearly once a month, a cop is killed in a high-speed chase.
My research has led me to one conclusion: This country desperately needs federal regulations that reduce high-speed chases for suspects who aren’t posing an immediate threat to public safety.
I’ve been fighting for legislative changes since Paul’s death.
The driver who failed to stop for police and who caused the chase that led to my son’s death had been doing little to nothing to endanger the public before the police pursuit started. Despite that, the trooper went after the driver through narrow city streets at 76 mph.
Pursuit policies are incredibly varied. Some jurisdictions allow pursuits only for violent felonies. Other jurisdictions allow police to chase for the simplest misdemeanors. I’ve seen incidents of police chasing someone for shoplifting baby formula. What happened to common sense?
A huge challenge is cross-jurisdictional pursuit policies. Federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies often have conflicting policies. The city in which my son was killed, Somerville, Mass., had a “no-chase” policy. But the more liberal state policy allowed troopers to continue the chase, which had started in a different district. That scenario plays out every day across the country.
Images don’t match the reality
Popular media often hinder realistic public understanding of police chases.
It seems that hardly a day goes by without a dashcam video or helicopter shot of a high-speed chase. Even advertisements try to make police chases look cool. After the 2016 Super Bowl, I challenged Toyota USA over its offensive Prius police chase ad, which featured robbers fleeing police by using the vehicle. Those ads were disrespectful to law enforcement and to thousands of victims of police-pursuit crashes. I connected with several of Toyota’s senior officials. Thankfully, the ads are no longer running.
Over the past several years, I’ve met with House and Senate leaders to create meaningful legislation aimed at saving innocent lives and supporting law enforcement. Language was added to the House Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2017 to encourage federal tracking and reporting of pursuit-related deaths and injuries. The bill would also make clear that federal grant monies are available to law enforcement agencies for pursuit reduction technology. I also speak with veteran officers and new recruits at police departments throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin, the states closest to my current home, on reducing police pursuits and saving officer and civilian lives.
If I’m successful, then perhaps my therapy by way of activism will prevent you from receiving an unimaginable and life-altering 4 a.m. phone call.
Jonathan Farris is founder of Pursuit For Change, an advocacy group working to change federal and local pursuit policies by seeking legislation to more effectively track and manage dangerous police chases and helping law enforcement implement pursuit reduction technology.
In addition to its own editorials, USA TODAY publishes diverse opinions from outside writers, including our Board of Contributors. To read more columns, go to the Opinion front page and follow us on Twitter @USATOpinion
by Tom Frank, USA Today. 12/28/2015
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/12/23/police-chase-deaths-up-in-2014/77762174/
Police chase deaths up in 2014
| DEATHS * | 385 |
| Bystanders | 73 |
| Passengers | 77 |
| Total Bystanders | 150 |
| Bystander under age 12 | 12 |
| Police Officers | 5 |
| INJURIES * | 1764 |
The number of people killed in high-speed police chases surged in 2014 to its highest level since 2007 despite efforts by police departments to reduce the risks of people getting killed and injured, a USA TODAY analysis shows.
A total of 385 people died in motor-vehicle crashes in 2014 that occurred while police were chasing a vehicle, up 16% from the 333 people killed in 2013, the USA TODAY review of federal records shows.
“A huge percentage of these deaths are unnecessary,” said Jonathan Farris, former chairman of PursuitSAFETY, which advocates to restrict police chases and improve reporting of chase-related deaths and injuries. Farris’ son Paul, 23, was killed in 2007 near Boston by a motorist being chased for a traffic violation.
Approximately 73 of the people killed in 2014 were bystanders — mostly people in their own cars that were hit by a fleeing motorist — and 77 were passengers in the fleeing vehicles. Twelve of those killed were children age 14 or younger, including an infant who had not yet turned one. Five were police officers.
Thousands more people were injured in the chases, which usually begin for minor infractions such as traffic violations. Although the federal government does not count injuries in police chases, five states that do keep track reported that a combined total of 1,764 people were injured in 2014 in their states.
Those states — California, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — make up nearly 23% of the U.S. population, which suggests that more than 7,700 people may have been injured nationwide in police chases in 2014.
Records from those states also suggest that there were about 52,000 police chases in 2014.
THURSDAY, JULY 14TH 2016
COFFEE COUNTY, Tenn. — The mayor of Tullahoma is calling for change after a Coffee County high-speed chase ends in tragedy for the second time in the last month. This time, the crash took the life of a beloved City employee.
“It’s absolutely not acceptable,” said Tullahoma Mayor Lane Curlee.
The mayor is calling out the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department for flying through his town at speeds of 90 miles an hour, “To pursue an individual or vehicle at that rate of speed through a community, there’s really got to be a really powerful reason.”
The sheriff says the reason was that a driver had a busted license plate light and the passenger acted suspicious, hiding from view from a deputy. The license plate violation gave the deputy cause to pursue Driver Kayla Hickey and Passenger Charleston Ortega. The chase ended-up taking the life of Joe Moon, a friend and colleague of the mayor for 40 years.
“I mean enough is enough! It ain’t been two weeks and we’ve got another death,” Mildred Parker, mother of Jessica Campos, the woman who died in the last high-speed chase.
Just weeks ago, Coffee County deputies chased a man who stole a car from a funeral home and that chase also ended in crash that took the life of Jessica Campos, a mother of two young children.
“Her kids, her 7 year old son is crying for her every night,” said Parker. “I mean when is it going to stop?”
Just this week, Campos’ family filed a $10 million lawsuit against the sheriff’s department for the chase that they felt was unjustified.
The sheriff says his investigation found nothing wrong. According to its pursuit policy, a deputy can chase if there’s the possibility of loss of life, serious injury or major property damage.
“What is your reaction to this happening twice now in the last few weeks?” asked Reporter Sabrina Hall.
“Criminals ought to stop,” said Craig Northcott, the Coffee County District Attorney.
The district attorney backs up the sheriff’s department and says he’d only prosecute if a deputy committed a crime.
In pursuits, the Coffee County Sheriff’s department investigates itself on whether a deputy followed protocol when it comes to a high-speed chase.
The Tullahoma mayor and Campos’ family are calling for change.
“They are already are asking questions,” said Mayor Curlee. “What can be done?”
“It’s got to stop,” said Parker.
The 21-year-old driver, Hickey, who fled from deputies is locked-up at the Coffee County Jail. The DA says he plans to hold her and her passenger, Ortega, accountable for the loss of life.
Original article: http://fox17.com/news/local/tullahoma-mayor-calls-for-change-after-second-high-speed-chase-ends-in-death
Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this heinous and hateful crime.
Five officers are dead — four Dallas police officers and one Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer — after police say two snipers ambushed and opened fire on police officers at the end of a peaceful protest against nationwide officer-involved shootings Thursday night.These officers have given everything to serve the citizens of Dallas, and our thoughts and prayers are with their families.Ron Pinkston, President, Dallas Police Association
Seven officers and two civilians were also injured in the shootings. All are expected to recover.
“This is a terrible blow to the city of Dallas. This is a terrible blow to the United States of America,” Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said on the NBC’s “Today” show Friday morning.
Dallas Police Chief David Brown said Friday officers cornered a suspect — later identified as Micah X. Johnson, of Mesquite — and tried to negotiate with him for several hours before talks broke down. Johnson told police he was upset by recent police shootings and “wanted to kill white people.”
After an exchange of gunfire, officers attached explosives to a bomb robot and detonated them near Johnson, killing him.
First Seconds: Protest Erupts into GunfireFirst Seconds: Protest Erupts into GunfireA protest against nationwide officer-involved shootings turns violent in Dallas’s downtown area. In the end, five police officers were killed by two men who were in sniping positions above ground, according to authorities. Another 6 officers were injured. (Published 4 hours ago)
Brown said other options to bring the standoff to an end would have exposed more officers to grave danger.
Brown said before the standoff ended, Johnson told a hostage negotiator he was upset about recent shootings involving police officers and that he specifically wanted to kill white police officers. He added that he was not affiliated with any group, carried out the act alone and said police would eventually find the IEDs he claimed to have placed around the city.
Raw Video: Witness Accounts of DPD Officers ShotRaw Video: Witness Accounts of DPD Officers ShotWitnesses tell NBC 5 what they saw after Dallas police officers were shot after a rally in Downtown Dallas Thursday night. (Published 4 hours ago)
Rawlings said police have swept the area where the standoff took place and investigated one suspicious package but found no explosives. Maj. Max Geron, with the Dallas Police Department, said on Twitter the area was cleared and crime scene investigators began processing the massive crime scene at about 6 a.m.
Police said earlier in the evening three other suspects were in custody in connection with the shooting, though Brown and Rawlings said Friday morning they were still investigating and didn’t want to compromise the ongoing investigation by elaborating on who was in custody.
Dallas Police Chief, Mayor 12:30 A.M. Update (Raw Video)Dallas Police Chief, Mayor 12:30 A.M. Update (Raw Video)Dallas Police Chief David Brown and Mayor Mike Rawlings provide a 12:30 a.m. update on the shootings in downtown Dallas. During this second press conference, Rawlings confirmed that he heard from the White House and the Governor’s office. (Published 45 minutes ago)
“I’m not going to be satisfied until we turn over every stone,” Brown said. “If there’s someone out there associated with this, we will find you.”
Rawlings called the shooting Dallas’ “worst nightmare” and asked that all residents “come together and support our police officers.” Brown reiterated that message Friday, asking for prayers and support from the community in the wake of the shootings.
Officers Take Cover After Shots Fired DowntownOfficers Take Cover After Shots Fired DowntownDallas police officers take cover after shots were fired during a protest of nationwide officer-involved shootings, July 8, 2016. (Published Thursday, July 7, 2016)
“We’re hurting. Our profession is hurting. Dallas officers are hurting. We are heartbroken. There are no words to describe the atrocity that occurred to our city. All I know is that this must stop. This divisiveness between our police and our citizens,” Brown said. “We don’t feel much support most days. Let’s not make today most days. We need your support to be able to protect your from men like these.”
Scores of Dallas and DART police officers arrived downtown following the shooting, which took place along Main Street between and Market and Lamar streets, a block from the Old Red Courthouse building just before 9 p.m.
Map Credit: The Dallas Morning News
“I saw all the cops were bending over. There had to have been five or six cops, and they were all getting shot down. It was right after the rally, we were walking to the car,” said Cortney Washington, of Dallas. “They kept shooting. It was coming — we didn’t know where it was coming from. And I didn’t see anybody else get shot. It was just the cops. I didn’t see nobody else get shot.”
Twelve officers in all — eight Dallas police and four DART — were shot by gunmen in what police believe to be a coordinated ambush attack that began at 8:58 p.m., at the close of a rally in solidarity with two men killed in officer-involved shootings, one in Louisiana, one in Minnesota.
Dramatic Photos: Deadly Sniper Attack in Downtown DallasDramatic Photos: Deadly Sniper Attack in Downtown Dallas
Video from the scene showed officers taking cover and people in the rally scattering after gunshots were heard.
One of the injured civilians was identified by family as Shetamia Taylor, who was shot while shielding her children from the gunfire, her sister told NBC 5. Taylor’s condition is not known. A male victim was also injured in the shootings, according to City of Dallas spokeswoman Sana Syed. His identity and condition have not yet been released.
2 Dallas Officers Die After Transport to Baylor UMC2 Dallas Officers Die After Transport to Baylor UMCTwo of five Dallas police officers killed in shootings at a protest Thursday died after being transported Baylor University Medical Center. (Published 3 hours ago)
One person was taken into custody at about 11:30 p.m., Dallas police said, following an exchange of gunfire with Dallas SWAT officers. A suspicious package was located near that person, and the package was being investigated by bomb squad personnel. Two other people were taken into custody in connection with a vehicle, Brown said.
Thursday’s protest was organized by Dominique R. Alexander, an ordained minister and the head of the Next Generation Action Network, according to The New York Times. He told the Times the organization “does not condone violence against any human being, and we condemn anyone who wants to commit violence.” Next Generation plans to hold a news conference at 11 a.m. Friday to discuss the ambush.
Shooting Occurred After Dallas Rally, MarchShooting Occurred After Dallas Rally, MarchNBC 5’s Cory Smith, who was in downtown Dallas covering the rally, describes the scene during and after the shooting Thursday night. (Published Friday, July 8, 2016)
Brown said it was too early to say whether there was a connection between the attackers and the demonstration.
“I was right there when the shooting happened,” Alexander added. “They could have shot me.”
Officers Salute Fallen PeersOfficers Salute Fallen PeersPolice officers salute their fallen peers outside Parkland Memorial Hospital, where several officers were transported after shootings at a protest in Dallas. (Published 3 hours ago)
Another rally organizer Cory Hughes told NBC 5 the protest was peaceful and as the crowd was dispersing, they heard gunfire. He said the scene turned into “mayhem; we didn’t know where to go.” He added he knew it was a serious situation when he saw officers coming from all directions, carrying rifles and tactical gear.
“They were shots ringing out from what felt like every direction,” Hughes said.
The deceased DART officer was identified as 43-year-old Officer Brent Thompson. He is the first DART officer killed in the line of duty since the transit service formed a police department in 1989. He joined DART in 2009, according to a department statement. Identities of the deceased Dallas police officers have not been released.
President Barack Obama, who was in Warsaw, Poland, for a NATO meeting, condemned the “vicious, callous and despicable attack.”
“I believe I speak for every single American when I say that we are horrified over these events and that we stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas,” the president said.
Gov. Greg Abbott offered the state’s assistance to Dallas overnight and Obama pledged federal support.
Dallas County buildings, including the George L. Allen Sr. Courts building, are closed Friday, among several closures due to the ongoing police investigation. El Centro College is closed Friday, and classes are canceled due to the police investigation.
The ATF and FBI have joined the investigation, authorities said.
Dallas police released a photo of a man whom they considered a “person of interest” in the shootings. The man, whose identity has not been released, surrendered to police for questioning and was later released.
A witness who posted video to Facebook said he saw at least three officers wounded near El Centro College. (Video is embedded below.)
It is the deadliest day for United States law enforcement agents since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks killed 72, NBC News reported. The shooting comes just over a year after a man opened fire on Dallas Police Headquarters on South Lamar Street. No officers were injured in the ensuing shootout.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE, PHOTOS AND VIDEOS HERE: http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Protests-in-Dallas-Over-Alton-Sterling-Death-385784431.html
Ingrained in every law enforcement officer are a few basic tenets: serve and protect, and catch evildoers before they can do more harm. It’s what they are paid to do, often risking their lives to accomplish those two goals.
But some departments are taking the drastic step of telling their officers to actually let the bad guy get away. That’s because in many circumstances, chasing them is simply too dangerous.
“The threat to innocent life does not justify chasing the vast majority of cars that decide not to stop for police,” says Edward Flynn, Chief of Police in Milwaukee. Six years ago, after a series of high profile crashes relating to chases, Flynn decided enough was enough, and implemented a new policy. Starting in March of 2010, officers were ordered to commence pursuits only for violent offenses.
No traffic violations. No stolen cars.
“In a three month period in 2010, we had four innocent people killed in three accidents,” Flynn said. “In every one of these tragedies the officers had realized the recklessness of the person they were chasing didn’t justify continued pursuit. One was for a stolen license plate!”
But once that pursuit begins, he noted, there is no controlling the missile which is often launched through populated neighborhoods, or streets, in the form of a fleeing car. And even if police break off the pursuit, they can’t control what the fleeing driver does next.
“I mean, I’ve buried officers who were killed in pursuits, alright?” he noted. “If you’re going to risk your life, and run the risk of that person is going to kill an innocent person, then the standard….has got to be a standard that says we’re involved in a crime of violence here. Not simply a property crime or a traffic offense, or some other low level offense.”
The new policy appears to have made a difference in Milwaukee. From 103 pursuit related crashes in 2007, to just 39 last year.
In May, NBC5 Investigates reported the alarming number of fatalities from police pursuits in the Chicagoland area: 141 pursuit-related crashes in the last ten years, resulting in 108 fatalities, and another 216 injured.
But the cases are not always easily defined.
In 2014, 20 year old Freddie Morales was walking to his car, when he was struck and killed by a Wheeling squad car, running with no lights or siren, clocked at up to 109 miles per hour. The officer who hit Morales, argued he was attempting to catch up with a speeder, and had not turned on his lights to avoid triggering a scenario where that driver might flee.
Morales, a pedestrian, was determined to have a blood alcohol level of between .158 and .228. He was killed instantly, and recently, the Village of Wheeling paid out a settlement to his family, of $853,000.
Ironically, under new chief James Dunne, Wheeling’s policy is now remarkably similar to Milwaukee’s. Dunne maintains the officer in the Morales case, who he called an “exemplary” member of his department, was truly only trying to catch up with a speeder, and was not engaged in a real chase. But like Flynn, he said he is concerned about the inherent dangers of police pursuits.
“Our policy is we won’t pursue for property crimes, or traffic,” he said. “It has to be a forcible felony.”
The true metric of any such policy, or course, is a reduction in injuries or deaths. In Milwaukee, two innocent bystanders have been killed since Flynn implemented his stricter policy. Chicago allows chases more often, and here we’ve seen 12 bystanders killed during the same period.
“As an industry, we need to re-evaluate how often we engage in this behavior,” he said. “And if the apprehension, is worth death!”
Published at 11:01 PM CDT on Jul 5, 2016
Original article at http://www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/To-Curb-Deaths-Some-Police-Make-the-Choice-Not-to-Chase-385643481.html
Advocates working to change police pursuit policies
Posted: Jun 30, 2016 9:29 PM CDT
Original article at: http://www.wsmv.com/clip/12564582/advocates-working-to-change-police-pursuit-policies
NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) –Thousands of bystanders and passengers have been killed since the 1980s in high-speed police chases.
One of those happened last week in Murfreesboro when a mother of two was killed instantly when the suspect rammed into her car.
Now her family is wanting to know why her life was taken for a stolen car.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police conducted a survey on thousands of chases nationally. They found 92 percent of pursuits began for a traffic violation, misdemeanor or non-violent felonies.
“I got involved in this in 2007 when my son was killed. I was boggled. I just couldn’t believe the number of them,” said Jonathan Farris, the founder of Pursuit for Change.
It often takes tragedy to bring to light the dangers of high-speed police chases.
“This should have never happened. This right here should have never happened,” said Mildred Parker, Jessica Campos’ mother.
Campos was killed in Murfreesboro when a suspect hit her after a more than 30-mile chase over a stolen car.
“It’s that cross jurisdictional issue, but someone gave me the number and it’s close to 19,000 law enforcement agencies, and they all have different policies,” Farris said.
Farris lost his son, Paul, in a city that has essentially a no pursuit policy, but the pursuit began in another county.
“My son and his girlfriend were in the backseat of a taxi. That taxi came to the intersection and the perpetrator was in an SUV and just t-boned them. Literally lifted the taxi up and threw it onto a sidewalk,” Farris said.
The chase started over an illegal U-turn.
“That’s when I lost it and decided I need to figure out why this is happening, how it’s happening, and so that’s when I started tracking pursuits,” Farris said.
He found that they are happening too often and for non-violent crimes.
Farris is working for federal regulations making pursuit policies consistent and for violent felonies only.
“No one has done anything with high-speed pursuits for the last 20 years,” said Trevor Fischbach, president of StarChase.
Fischbach is working to develop technology so police don’t have to chase at all.
“It’s mounted to the patrol car,” he said.
It may look like an Inspector Gadget car, but StarChase allows police officers to launch a GPS device onto a suspect’s car.
Statistic show it works, allowing police to track the suspects without having to use high speeds and putting others’ lives at risk. However, it does come with a price tag.
“Today we hear these stories and some are obviously much more tragic than others and this is definitely a tragic one. That is why we are working so hard to provide this technology to agencies,” Fischbach said.
Right now about 100 police agencies are using StarChase, none in Tennessee.
To get involved with Pursuit for Change, click here to visit their website. There is also a petition to help get new legislation enacted.
Copyright 2016 WSMV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
By Jonathan Farris
We were previously told by Toyota USA officials that the final run of Prius police chase advertising would end on June 26, 2016. However, on June 27th several Pursuit For Change followers indicated they saw the commercials again.
I immediately contacted the Toyota USA executive with whom I have been dealing. Here is his update to me, as of June 28, 2016.
I was able to discover the confusion today with our media team. In my previous communications I have asked them about the broadcast flights that support the Prius campaign. This information is what I have shared.
Today I learned that we have evergreen media sponsorships with a few media outlets like ESPN Sports Nation and CBS This Morning. The frequency and weight of these spots is minimal, but they obviously get noticed. The media team doesn’t consider these part of the campaign flight so I didn’t ask the questions as specific as I should have.
I apologize for this confusion.
Based on this new information we have made arrangements to replace the Prius work in these rotations this week. Saturday July 2nd is the final day that any of the spots will show up. We also reviewed other digital video units and those too will be on the same timing.
Again, I’m sorry for the seemingly misleading comments I have given you. This has been a new experience for me to handle and it’s now clear that I simply didn’t ask our media team enough questions about the different ways our media is placed. It’s not as clear cut as simply the broadcast work. It was never my intent to mislead you or your supporters in any way.
Opinion Article
Suppose you’re a homeowner who has watched your neighborhood deteriorate since drug dealers moved in. The drug traffic has disturbed your peace, destroyed the lives of friends, and threatened your security.
Then suppose you turn on the TV and see a commercial for a product considered socially responsible: a low water-use toilet. The manufacturer, worried that customers think its flushing power ineffectual, has devised a new “humorous” ad. It depicts a panicked drug dealer reacting to police pounding on his door by running to the bathroom with a bag of cocaine. The camera cuts to police ramming the entry, then back to the dealer, calmly munching corn chips. The ad’s caption: “No Matter the Rush, It’s Gone in One Flush!”
No advertising company would propose such an ad, and no manufacturer would buy it. It would outrage the law-abiding public and law enforcement at all levels.
Yet for months Toyota has run a series of ads that strike both police and the family members of one group of crime victims as just this outrageous. The first spot aired during the Super Bowl.
A group of bank robbers, finding their getaway car has been towed, steal a Prius. They elude police, driving for miles at high speeds. Meanwhile, citizens tweet the thieves’ exploits and hang out banners to cheer them on as they speed by. The chase goes on endlessly, without even near-miss collisions, as if pursuits always unrolled in the sedate manner of the slow-motion chase of O. J. Simpson on highways that had been cleared of most other traffic.
In real life, police pursuits can quickly turn deadly. An FBI study found that about half of all pursuits last less than two minutes, and 70% end within six minutes — usually in a crash. Sometimes the fleeing driver slams into a wall, injuring or killing only himself. But too often he slams into another, innocent driver.
Records kept by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) since 1979 show that about one person a day dies in a pursuit-related crash and that over one-third of those killed are innocent bystanders. The real number of pursuit-related deaths is probably higher.
USA Today investigators who tabulated media-reported pursuits found that the NHTSA undercounted chase-related deaths in 2013 by at least 31%. One reason: accident report forms often don’t ask whether a pursuit preceded a crash.
Researchers for the International Association of Chiefs of Police reported in 2008 that over 91% of vehicular pursuits are triggered by non-violent crimes, and that in over 42% of cases, police pursue for minor traffic violations.
Patrol officers see small infractions as clues to larger crimes — and a suspect’s refusal to stop seems an admission of guilt. It is true that police frequently discover, after the crash, that a suspect was driving a stolen vehicle. But by then the stolen property is irrecoverable.
You can replace a ruined car, but you cannot replace the life of an innocent bystander victim. That’s why the national nonprofit PursuitSAFETY urges law enforcement to pursue only violent felony suspects. It also urges law enforcement to train officers to use safe practices in situations that often trigger pursuits. Another organization, Pursuit For Change, pushes these reforms while promoting new technologies that could help officers apprehend suspects without the dangerous chase.
Both groups have asked Toyota to pull the offensive Prius ads. Toyota has responded with tone-deaf excuses.
Toyota Operations Supervisor Nicole Redd’s response to a letter from PursuitSAFETY volunteer Patti DeAngelis (whose daughter died last September due to a pursuit in San Joaquin County, California) is typical. “We are sorry you did not enjoy our . . . commercial. Our intention was to focus on the typical misconceptions about hybrids . . . in a fun and humorous way.” In other words, “That was a joke! Didn’t you get it?”
The American public doesn’t get it. We regard vehicular flight and pursuit with too much fascination and too little alarm. We thrill to movie depictions of impossible chases. The camera sweeps past fiery crashes and crumpled vehicles, never showing us the human cost. Reckless scofflaws conclude that you can flee police and get away, while the rest of us don’t suspect we could be victims — until it happens to someone we love.
Free-lance writer and editor Ellen Deitz Tucker began advocating reforms to police pursuit policy after her sister and a friend were killed by a fleeing driver in Belmont, NC in 2012.
Thanks to the Rockford Register for this editorial. They make very good recommendations regarding more commonality of different departments’ pursuit policies. If lives are truly to be saved, then move to a policy allowing pursuits for only violent felonies. And support local law enforcement with additional driving training and the ability to try new pursuit reduction technologies.
Jon Farris – Chief Advocate, Pursuit For Change
Photo credit: Illinois State Police work the scene of a fatal accident Monday, Feb. 8, 2016, on South Springfield Avenue at Cunningham Road in Rockford. RRSTAR.COM FILE PHOTO
Original post: http://www.rrstar.com/opinion/20160612/our-view-city-county-should-have-common-police-chase-policy
We’ve been critical of the Rockford Police Department’s “no chase” policy in the past. That’s why we are pleased that new Rockford Police Chief Dan O’Shea has changed the department’s policy to one that’s reasonable and gives officers the authority to decide when and when not to chase, based on several criteria.
In a meeting with the Editorial Board last week, O’Shea said Rockford police will chase violent offenders who are considered an imminent threat to others, based on traffic conditions, the time of day and the presence of pedestrians. If an officer is shot, the police definitely will chase if at all possible.
Meanwhile, the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department continues its “pedal to the metal” policy. Last week, a sheriff’s deputy went on a high-speed chase, at one point reaching 100 mph, to pursue someone because he wasn’t wearing a seat belt and the deputy thought he saw the driver of the Chevy Tahoe reaching down under the seat to maybe hide something. This was at 10:24 p.m., in the darkness of night.
The deputy tried to pursue the car, but it sped away. The chase led from southeast Rockford to Illinois 251 to Perryville Road, where the Tahoe was traveling in the wrong lane. The deputy stopped chasing at that point.
This is the latest in a series of high-speed chases by the Sheriff’s Department, one of which ended in the death of Joy Lambert, 55, who was on her way to work at BMO Harris Bank. The deputy didn’t hit her, but the car he was chasing at a high speed on Springfield Avenue did.
Another sheriff’s chase ended up with the chased car wrecked on the sidewalk directly in front of Rockford City Hall.
None of those chases involved suspects who were immediate threats to public safety.
We’ve applauded Sheriff Gary Caruana for his efforts to beef up crime fighting throughout the county with an emphasis on high-crime areas. But we think the sheriff’s chase policy should be rethought, with greater emphasis put on the safety of innocent bystanders and the officers.
In fact, we urge the city and county to adopt a common policy and training regimen to ensure that everyone is on the same page and knows the same driving techniques. Throw in the Rockford Park District, Loves Park Police and rural village departments, too.
There is no question that police chases are inherently dangerous to the public.
A USA Today analysis published in 2015 found that “More than 5,000 bystanders and passengers have been killed in police car chases since 1979, and tens of thousands more were injured as officers repeatedly pursued drivers at high speeds and in hazardous conditions, often for minor infractions. … Police across the USA chase tens of thousands of people each year, often causing drivers to speed away recklessly.”
The International Association of Chiefs of Police, based in Alexandria, Virginia, has a model “vehicular pursuit policy,” updated in 2015, on its website, theiacp.org. We have read it, and it seems logical and reasonable to us civilians.
Here are the first three guidelines:
1. Pursuit is authorized only if the officer has a reasonable belief that the suspect, if allowed to flee, would present a danger to human life or cause serious injury. In general, pursuits for minor violations are discouraged.
2. The decision to initiate a pursuit must be based on the pursuing officer’s conclusion that the immediate danger to the officer and the public created by the pursuit is less than the immediate or potential danger to the public should the suspect remain at large.
3. Unless a greater hazard would result, a pursuit should not be undertaken if the subject(s) can be identified with enough certainty that they can be apprehended at a later time.
The entire policy is online in convenient PDF form. It reads plainly and is very similar to the guidelines O’Shea described.
We recommend all police agencies follow it, so they’re all on the same page when we’re all on the same roads.
http://kstp.com/news/maple-lake-5-vehicle-crash-police-pursuit/4164630/
Photo credit: KSTP / Will Greiner
The investigation continues into a police pursuit and multi-vehicle crash that injured at least four people Tuesday near Maple Lake.
Authorities are trying to determine what happened and whether the driver was suffering from a medical incident or had criminal intent.
The Minnesota State Patrol said 73-year-old Barbara Belka of Rockville was seriously injured in the crash. She attracted the attention of police after a guard rail was damaged in South Haven. When Annandale Police and Wright County deputies tried to stop Belka, she continued. The pursuit was called off near Maple Lake and Belka’s car caused a crash with four other vehicles on Minnesota Highway 55 near Maple Lake, the state patrol said.
“We don’t know if this is a medical or criminal situation,” said Capt. Todd Hoffman of the Wright County Sheriff’s Office.
Belka has not been arrested, Hoffman said.
Hoffman would not say how fast the driver was going when law enforcement ended the pursuit. It’s about seven miles between South Haven and Maple Lake.
The patrol said Belka was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Four other vehicles and at least three others were hurt, the patrol said.
The patrol said 55-year-old Steven Voight of St. Cloud, 20-year-old Mark Borer of Annandale and 39-year-old Wayne Paler of Annandale were taken to St. Cloud Hospital with injuries that are not life threatening.
The state patrol has not released the details of the crash.
VIDEO here:
http://www.myfoxboston.com/news/fox25-investigates-state-police-logged-900-pursuits-in-5-years/318809260
Very special thanks to Fox25 Investigative Producer, Erin Smith (@SmithReports), for reaching out and making this story happen.
Thursday, June 2, 2016. Fox25 News.
Troopers on police pursuits have racked up 132 crashes involving cruisers and other vehicles since 2012, FOX25 Investigates uncovered.
State Police have logged 917 total chases in the past five years. A spokesman for State Police said 843 of those pursuits complied with the agency’s pursuit policy, which requires cops to end the chase if the driver is only wanted for a misdemeanor or nonviolent felony and heads into densely populated neighborhoods or congested roadways. Troopers must also frequently check in with supervisors to continue the chase.
State Police defended their record, telling FOX25 Investigates the department closely examines each pursuit.
“The fact that the overwhelming majority of pursuits comply entirely with policy reflects the discipline of our troopers in deciding when to pursue vehicles,” said State Police in a statement.
The staggering number of State Police pursuits uncovered by FOX25 Investigates comes after Massachusetts State Police last month pursuing a driver on an hour-long, multi-state chase gunned down major roads, including Route 2 and I-495 and arrested him in a New Hampshire residential neighborhood.
>>READ MORE: Full State Police pursuit policy
A New Hampshire state trooper and a Massachusetts State Police officer were later placed on leave and are under investigation after SkyFox video showed officers punching the suspect at the end of the chase.
Deadly 2007 pursuit leads to policy review
Massachusetts State Police revised their pursuit policy in 2007 after a deadly Somerville crash. Javier Morales fled a routine traffic stop for an illegal U-turn in Everett and led police on a high-speed chase before smashing into a taxicab in Somerville, killing cab driver Walid Chahine and 23-year-old musician Paul Farris. Farris’ girlfriend Katelyn Hoyt was also seriously injured.
Hoyt spoke to FOX25 Investigates for the first time publicly about the life-changing crash that left her sedated in a coma with a shattered pelvis, a broken right wrist, a cracked sternum, broken ribs and a traumatic brain injury.
“I’m not mad at the police and I’m glad laws have changed and I’m glad we’re still fighting to change more laws about police chases,” said Hoyt. “But I really wish that there was more awareness. There’s so many innocent bystanders… You’re going to get another shot at this convict or this criminal, so just let it go and you’ll get him later.”
Hoyt said the recent New Hampshire chase was difficult to watch and urged police to rethink pursuits – for the safety of the officers as well as bystanders.
“Every time I hear a siren… I say a little prayer,” said Hoyt. “Please be with the officers. Please be with the people, the paramedics, the victims. Anyone who’s involved.”
After Hoyt’s crash, State Police ordered an internal committee to review all pursuits.
In the past two years alone, internal reviews found 11 chases didn’t comply with State Police’s own pursuit policy.
“It certainly calls into question whether or not police ought to be involved and engaging in high-speed vehicle pursuits in the first place,” said Tom Nolan, a Merrimack College professor and retired 27-year veteran of the Boston Police Department.
Nolan said the way officers handled the end of the chase in New Hampshire shouldn’t be the only thing under investigation.
“They knew who this guy was,” said Nolan. “They knew where he lived. They had warrants outstanding for him. You can get him another time. I mean, what is the emergency?”
State Police couldn’t immediately provide details for the 11 chases that didn’t comply with policy and declined an interview request, but a spokesman said the violations were minor and no troopers were fired.
Last month’s chase that ended in New Hampshire is still under internal review and State Police said investigators are still compiling radio transmissions from the pursuit.
The full statement from State Police to FOX25 Investigates states:
“Pursuits require continual analysis of a host of evolving factors, any of which can change in a split second over the course of a pursuit — including speed, traffic conditions, population density of the surrounding area, the nature of the underlying crime committed by the suspect, and the threat posed to the public by the suspect. This rapid-fire analysis and continual decision-making by the pursuing troopers and the shift commander at troop headquarters determine whether the pursuit continues or is terminated. Like so many other actions that we ask law enforcement officers to perform routinely to protect the public, motor vehicle pursuits require a tremendous amount of tactical skill, discipline, and clear thinking in the midst of a crisis situation. It is easy for observers on the outside to second guess those actions, but the task of the trooper or police officer who has to stop a potentially dangerous suspect and end a threat is not quite so easy.
We are proud of our rigorous pursuit policy and our record of closely examining how our pursuits are conducted. The fact that the overwhelming majority of pursuits comply entirely with policy reflects the discipline of our troopers in deciding when to pursue vehicles.”
