Atlanta police chief halts car chases after deaths, injuries

[tn1911]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/atlanta-p...215513226.html

Atlanta's police chief has ordered a halt to all police car chases after crashes that killed or injured people.

"I don't want to see us cost someone their life in pursuit of an auto theft person or burglar when the courts aren't even going to hold them accountable. I mean, how can we justify that?" Chief Erika Shields said during a news conference Friday afternoon.

Two men were killed last month in Atlanta when their car was hit by a stolen car evading police, police said.

The chief said the order will stay in effect while she reviews a chase policy that has been in place since 2018. Changes might include allowing only highly trained officers to take part in chases, Shields said.

[kerplode]

"I don't want to see us cost someone their life in pursuit of an auto theft person or burglar when the courts aren't even going to hold them accountable. I mean, how can we justify that?" Chief Erika Shields said during a news conference Friday afternoon.

She right, tho.

[tn1911]

She right, tho.

Agreed.

Years ago when I was a cop I had mixed feeling about no chase policies and got down right mad once or twice when my Lt. would call off a perfectly good chase, but now I'm of the option that's why you have good car insurance. Let State Farm deal with it, I'll get another car.

[SomeOtherGuy]

Agreed.

Years ago when I was a cop I had mixed feeling about no chase policies and got down right mad once or twice when my Lt. would call off a perfectly good chase, but now I'm of the option that's why you have good car insurance. Let State Farm deal with it, I'll get another car.

Sensible. And we're probably a few years out, or less, from having drones available to discretely follow the car and allow apprehension once the driver/perp is out.

[Buncheong]

“ ...when the courts aren't even going to hold them accountable.”

This right here ^

This is what gets me kicked off of AZ jury pools.

Judge: do you believe you can be fair and impartial if placed on this jury panel, Mr. B?

Me: if you can assure me that the accused will, if found guilty, be punished to the maximum extent Arizona law allows, giving no place to “victim status” or any other manufactured reasons to not punish a criminal.

*POOF*

GONE

These judges will, if not somehow soon checked, create via their own “activism” a reality where LE will simply sit on their hands, and arrest no one for anything. And who would blame them?

#pandemonium

[HardToHandle]

Nothing scares me like car chases... As a motorist. I have been a participant in plenty as a younger man and realized nothing good was going to happen. Now they terrify me, as they have too many opportunities for things to go wrong.

The bigger issue is how correct the Chief rationale is... Why should police hazard themselves if the prosecutors don’t enforce the law on their end? I am not that big on the politics of it, but the same story applies to most of the Democratic urban strongholds - Chicago, Baltimore, New York, etc.

[yoni]

I was a deputy in the USA a long time ago, and used to love chases. In Israel getting a call out was also an excuse to drive crazy.

But I know that both are very dangerous, and on record I crashed into a stopped semi truck, when a swerved to miss a mini van that had pulled out in front of me during the chase. They had to cut me out of the police car.

Chases are fun, but need to be restricted, for public safety.

[Firefly]

Chases are NOT fun. My ass was sucking seat and I was praying the whole way gone.

I sorta agree here. Too many resources to use to not wreck out or worse injure an innocent.

Never again.

[AndyLate]

That's great news, I am not gonna lift off the throttle from the beginning of Atlanta on I-20 to the end. Plus I can run in the HOV lane all by my lonesome...

[Todd.K]

To limit and minimize dangerous chases is controlling risk.

A total (and well publicised) ban is going to lead to more people running, and over smaller reasons.