The grim reality of high speed police chases in LA

Whether or not they manage to nab the suspects is a different story, but the LAPD’s high-speed chases are becoming increasingly life-threatening.

Hot police-suspect pursuits abruptly disrupt the traffic, often resulting in accidents and injuring everyone involved, even bystanders and pedestrians.

The latest victim, 23-year-old college student Julio Reyes, was killed in the midst of one such high-speed chase. The innocent bystander died in a four-car collision on June 1 in El Sereno. Police said the incident “was triggered when Jose Fernando Arellano, 20, lost control of his vehicle while being pursued” after refusing to pull over.

In another such incident on May 30, suspects struck and killed a pedestrian during a hot police pursuit and officer-involved shooting in Santa Ana.

NBC Connecticut reports that nearly a third of these pursuits end in traffic collisions, and two-thirds of those crashes result in injuries, according to statistics compiled by the Los Angeles police department. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 45 people were killed during police pursuits in California last year. 27 of them were in a fleeing vehicle, while the other 18 were innocent victims.

A report in ABC 2020 reveals that, on an average, Los Angeles has over a thousand chases a year. Most police chases are shown live on TV as breaking news. Police chases double networks’ ratings, which is why stations are always eager to cover them.

Los Angeles, being California’s largest city, holds the record for the maximum pursuits,. However, the number has now reduced to half than it was a decade ago due to the department’s revised pursuit policy.

LAPD Lt. Neiman, a former commander of the Pursuit Review Unit says, “Our job is to protect public safety. If there’s a pursuit, you can be sure there’s a good reason.” Critics, however, say that “as many as two-thirds of all pursuits are initiated for minor traffic violations. And they say that police are too eager to give chase, despite the potential risks.” NBC reports.

A road safety sign can remind drivers to slow down and avoid rash driving, leaving no chance for pursuits and accidents (image by: roadtrafficsigns.com)

The two recent deaths raise questions on the department’s guidelines for pursuit. However, the LAPD Pursuit Policy clearly states that officers should take the final call whether to continue or drop the pursuit after considering several factors, including risks to the public and whether the suspect could be safely apprehended later.

Tags: LA, police chases, remzem

Category: Pedestrian safety, Road safety