Tragedy Indicates Need for Reform

The high-speed police chase that killed one person and injured four others last week highlights the risks involved when officers are forced to make life-or-death decisions in an instant. As police pursued a stolen van through Mission Hills Wednesday night, it ran a red light and smashed into another van--killing an innocent woman as her vehicle burst into flames. When he recovers from his injuries, the driver of the stolen van appropriately will be charged with murder.

When they initiate a car chase, police set off a chain of events over which they have very little control, prompting some in academic and legal circles to question whether they ought to occur at all--except in cases of violent felonies. Clearly, letting criminals get away because they hit the accelerator must never be an option. But other options exist and they deserve consideration by the Los Angeles Police Department--which was singled out last year in an American Civil Liberties Union report as being involved in a disproportionate number of chases that end in injury or death.

In Orange County, for instance, sheriff’s deputies are instructed to chase felony suspects only. In Los Angeles, even low-level criminals can be chased. Nationwide, 70% to 80% of police pursuits are initiated for traffic violations. Nabbing a driver who blows a red light is not worth putting other drivers or passersby at risk. Yet Los Angeles police correctly note that drivers who fail to pull over for a traffic violation may well be wanted for more serious crimes.

Officers on the street need clear-cut chase policies and deserve better pursuit training. That’s part of the rationale behind a new LAPD driving center near Van Norman Reservoir. In the end, though, even the best police training only takes care of half of the equation. Let’s not lose sight of who is ultimately responsible for these chases--and the tragedies they often cause. That blame lies squarely with the criminals who foolishly think they can outrun the law.