A week ago Saturday, a member of my church lost his life when a criminal fleeing police ran a red light through the intersection that the car he was riding in just entered. He had justed finished a day of working at the church installing some outdoor lighting.
I believe that we need to take a very hard look at police policy on high speed pursuits in urban areas. Recently, a police officer in our city lost his life engaged in such another high speed pursuit. I am not critical of the police. But I wonder what we gain when we endanger the lives of the innocent in pursuit of the guilty. We would not call it even if someone dropped a bomb on a house that held 2 innocent people just to kill the criminal who is with them. And while I would want police to pursuit a kidnapper who had his victim in his car with them, I think that we need to exercise some discretion about who get pursued and the risks we are willing to take.
We need to have a study done on this matter.
I know one thing. I will never be able to watch a high speed pursuit on televison or at the movies without thinking of my friend.
1 comment:
Officers also have the responsibility of protecting the innocent as well as punish the guilty.I agree that if the person pursued represents a danger to the public, the felon ought to be pursued. However, I think that the pursuing officer's decision needs to be approved. The officer can call it in and begin the pursuit. A supervisor can then have the option to call it off if the pursuit. Right now it is simply left to the descretion of the officer.
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