Friday, November 05, 2010
Editorial: Review Roanoke police pursuits
A spate of accidents this year warrants a thorough investigation.
From the RoundTable blog
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When police decide whether to pursue a suspect in a vehicle, they must rapidly weigh competing demands. On the one hand, their job is to protect themselves and the public. On the other hand, they do not want to let someone escape. Striking a balance can be difficult.
Too often this year, police chases in Roanoke have ended in accidents. As Chief Chris Perkins settles into his new job, a full review of pursuit procedures should be one of his first priorities.
So far this year, at least six accidents have occurred during chases. One, in June, resulted in the death of a 19-year-old driver police pursued. More recently, on Sunday, an officer hurrying to join another in pursuit crashed into a home. Fortunately, the home was vacant because the owner was renovating it, but a city inspector estimates repairs could cost the city $15,000 to $20,000.
Police officers must make a rapid decision when a suspect takes off in a vehicle. They must judge whether the risk of letting the suspect escape outweighs the risk of bodily harm and property damage inherent in high-speed chases. The well-being of the officer, the suspect and public at large all factor into that equation.
We are not in a position to second-guess any of the half-dozen or more incidents that ended badly so far this year. Given the spate of them, though, the public can reasonably ask that Perkins, who took over in recent months, carefully scrutinize the circumstances surrounding them and department policies and training for chases. Perkins said there will be an investigation of the last incident. He should broaden that to include all six.
Maybe officers are rushing too quickly to pursue or driving recklessly. Maybe they handled everything appropriately. The only certainty now is that citizens see a half-dozen incidents costing taxpayer dollars and leading to injuries. The public deserves a full explanation of why they have occurred and what, if anything, can be done to make them less likely in the future.
