Pursuing Safety in High-Speed Chases : Recent Fatalities Raise Questions of Just How Far--and Fast--the Police Should Go

High-speed police chases are always cause for concern, and often prompt consideration of whether the practice is an appropriate way of apprehending fleeing suspects. Now, however, the timing of several incidents clustered in Orange County has led to even more discussion than usual, and brought on a justifiable review of police procedures.

Over the recent holiday period, three high-speed chases, all involving such infractions as stolen material and a traffic violation, resulted in five deaths. Whether this is a price really worth paying to bring fleeing suspects to justice is a question worth asking. Most law enforcement agencies have policies that take a number of factors into consideration, including weather, traffic, the nature of the crime and the terrain of the surrounding area. Also, there is the crucial element of the judgment of the officer.

For some time, the pursuit of vehicles carrying suspected illegal immigrants has been a concern. In 1992, vehicles chasing suspects in Temecula crashed into a car and killed five people in front of a high school, none of whom had been involved in the chase. The Border Patrol subsequently discouraged such chases, and the debate led to a revision of the California Penal Code that emphasized vehicular safety.

These developments have contributed to a further review of chase policies by local law enforcement agencies. On New Year’s Eve, Ernie Magdaleno, a top-ranked boxer, was killed when his vehicle collided with a fleeing vehicle driven by a suspect in the theft of photographic equipment. The suspect also died, and a companion was left critically injured. Several days later, two suspected car thieves led Fullerton police on a high-speed chase, and died when their car struck a light pole. Earlier last month, a Fullerton man who failed to pull over for Costa Mesa police died when his car slammed into a concrete wall.

While the number of people killed in such pursuits who are not actually involved is a very small percentage, there understandably is concern about innocent bystanders. University of South Carolina criminologist Geoffrey Alpert has sound advice: He suggests that chases should not occur if they involve property and not violent felonies. He suggests that even when the latter occur, authorities should be extremely cautious because of the risk of a resulting wreck. Departments periodically should review policies, and emphasize the most important element of all--sound judgment.