Study: High-speed police chases are killing innocent bystanders

2010-04-24 14:36:53 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Auto Accident, Justice News Flash)

Legal news for automobile accident attorneys. Police departments are considering implanting restrictive policies for police pursuits.

Automobile accident attorneys alert- High-speed police pursuits are leaving innocent bystanders dead due to crashes.

West Palm Beach, FL—One-third of people killed in a high-speed police chase are innocent bystanders, which have numerous communities across the nation pondering the idea of restricting such deadly pursuits. The USA Today review uncovered the shocking statistics in a recent report.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nearly 360 people are killed every year in police-related pursuits. A University of South Carolina criminology professor, Geoffrey Alpert, says the actual rate of fatalities are “three or four times higher,” because bystanders who are killed after police have stopped chasing suspects are not counted, even it happened within seconds of ending the pursuit. Alpert says, 35 percent to 40 percent of all police chases result in crashes.

Police departments across the nation are now moving toward more restrictive police pursuits “because chasing someone for a traffic offense or a property offense is not worth the risk of people’s lives and well-being.” The Milwaukee police department has already implemented such changes. Milwaukee police officers now must have probable cause that a violent felony has occurred to ensue a chase instead of reasonable suspicion. According to a National Institute of Justice research paper and professor Alpert, restrictive police chase policies have saved lives. In Miami-Dade County, police chases have dropped from 279 a year to 51 after implementing a restrictive policy.

Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news for automobile accident lawyers.