High-Speed Police Chases

Recently two people died when their car crashed while being chased by police. The chase began when police attempted to stop the car because its headlights were not on.

I am not criticizing the specifics of this incident, the police or the driver involved as much as I am criticizing the archaic need for high-speed pursuits in general. I fully understand the desire to chase a bank robber, a carjacker, a murderer, a kidnapper or anything of an emergency nature. But to chase someone because their lights were not on is patently absurd. I believe the policing agencies involved did not exercise good judgment and put themselves as well as the driver in peril.

What happened to tire nail strips, helicopters, following slowly until the car was out of gas or blocked? What happened to common sense? They didn’t even chase what’s-his-name Simpson to his death, they followed him until he stopped.

I would like to suggest that we as a community get in touch with our representatives and call an end to high-speed chases. Any of us or our families could have been killed or injured as a result of this unnecessary waste of physical energy and police resources. Let us act as if we have evolved to a greater sense of purpose and being. This is bad, very bad.

ALLEN CARROZZA, Ventura