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During pursuits, LEOs put public's safety first
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By Matt Coleman
The Florida Times-Union
She was on her way to the day care center.
He was trying to get away fast, with police in pursuit.
When the career thief and woman met Monday, the force was crushing and the 24-year-old Jacksonville mother of two was killed.
Another police chase played itself out Wednesday, and an 86-year-old man was killed when his truck got in the way of an officer pursuing a traffic violator. It was unclear if the patrolman's lights and sirens were on, and what the offender had done has not been released.
Chief David Stevens of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said the decision to give chase or hang back isn't taken lightly by pursuing officers and supervisors monitoring the action.
Multiple factors -- such as weather and road conditions, traffic patterns, speed and time -- are all considered before giving the go-ahead.
"There isn't a chase that is a black-and-white example of when to stop and when to continue," he said. "Every scenario is different, and there are too many factors to list that impact the final call."
Stevens said officers are trained to give chase only when the target is suspected of committing a violent felony or driving while intoxicated. They aren't supposed to engage motorists fleeing after a minor traffic violation.
But it's not like every small-time offender can get away clean. Stevens said it's a simple process for officers to plug in the license plate number and retrieve an address.
If the offense meets agency standards, three officers give pursuit.
The first-responding car usually takes the lead and contacts the communications supervisor for assistance, Stevens said. Once more officers arrive, two other patrol cars join the mix and deliver the pursuit play-by-play to a supervising lieutenant. Other officers are responsible for directing traffic away from the chase route and placing razor-sharp stop sticks to flatten the suspect's tires.
The lieutenant has the final say on when to terminate the chase, and Stevens said it's not an idle decision. Every detail is considered as the pursuit unfolds.
But there is one point that always takes precedence.
"The safety of the public always outweighs any other factor," he said.
Monday's chase involved a Jacksonville man with a history of swiping cars and running from the cops. It started with a carjacking. Officers began to pursue the stolen car about 4 p.m. on Beach Boulevard.
The 100-mph chase traversed the Southside as a light rain fell on the asphalt. The fleeing driver evaded multiple stop sticks thrown down by police before he crashed into the woman's car. She was killed, and he was charged with murder.
Stevens said an investigation into the wreck is pending and wouldn't say whether rain-slicked roads or high speeds would have been appropriate grounds to cancel the fatal pursuit. He also wouldn't comment on Wednesday's chase for the same reason.
Andrew J. Scott III, a former police chief in Boca Raton who works as a consultant to law enforcement agencies on policies and procedures, said the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office policy on giving pursuit matches up with other similar-sized departments.
"They're not out of line with how the rest of the state handles chases," Scott said. "Florida is fairly restrictive in terms of pursuit policies, and the JSO isn't doing anything drastic."
Capt. Mark Welch of the Florida Highway Patrol said there are slight differences between the Sheriff's Office's pursuit policy and that of his agency. Only two pursuing highway patrol officers are required, Welch said. They also don't initiate chases for suspected intoxicated drivers.
He also reiterated the fluid nature of police pursuits.
The offenses and conditions vary, as do the officers and supervisors in charge.
It all comes down to whether keeping up is for the benefit or detriment of the community.
"We have a policy, and we follow it closely," Welch said. "But it's impossible to determine from the start that a pursuit is absolutely necessary. There is no 'must-always' chase situation."
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Copyright 2009 The Florida Times-Union
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