There was an incident in Syracuse where police officers noticed a stolen vehicle at the Destiny USA shopping center. Still, they made a conscious decision to refrain from pursuing the vehicle when it fled. The stolen vehicle was noticed a little later by a member from the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office and unlike Syracuse police, a short pursuit was initiated. Unfortunately, it resulted in the stolen vehicle colliding with another car on Park Street.
The Syracuse law enforcement agency made a conscious choice not to chase stolen cars, as noted by their adopted policy. Contrarily, The sheriff’s office still adheres to a standard procedure that promotes the pursuit of stolen vehicles. These contradictory strategies reflect the broader ongoing debate at the national level within various United States police departments.
Numerous police departments across the country are amending their pursuit policies to curb or diminish the frequency of chase incidents, specifically those involving stolen vehicles. The number one factor influencing this shift seems to be the concern for safety. This involves everyone in the scenario – law enforcers, observers, and even the individuals evading law enforcement.
Several cities have faced lawsuits due to police chase incidents that caused unintended harm or even death to innocent bystanders. As a result, a growing number of departments are now implementing new rules to restrict pursuits. In most cases, pursuits have become exclusive to individuals directly involved in violent crimes, thereby excluding property-related offenses.
One such example is Buffalo, where law enforcement officers are now advised not only to avoid chasing stolen vehicles but also to deliberately retreat, ensuring suspects do not misconstrue they’re being pursued. Around the country, and particularly in cities like Chicago, pursuit of vehicles is now prohibited if the offense involves a traffic violation or theft, including the possession of stolen vehicles.
These amendments to internal departmental policies can largely be attributed to the burgeoning concerns around safety. It’s not just about the wellbeing of the officers involved, but also pedestrians, and other motorists on the roads where these chases often take place.
In Central New York, the consequence of these pursuits is sometimes fatal. In the past year, there was an unfortunate incident in which a 16-year-old boy named Sean Girvin, from Syracuse, lost his life. This tragedy occurred when Sean lost control of the stolen car he was driving during a high-speed chase and crashed on the East Seneca Turnpike in Syracuse. The pursuit was initiated by deputies.
The current policy of the Syracuse police, updated in August, underscores that the mere instance of a stolen vehicle is not valid grounds to warrant a chase. However, there are exceptions to this rule when other severe circumstances come into play alongside the car theft.
A noticeable surge in the theft of Kia and Hyundai brand cars has significantly contributed to the rising trend. Data reveals that car thefts in Syracuse have skyrocketly by approximately 86% in the last three years.
The Police Executive Research Forum revealed through its extensive research that it’s fallacious to assume individuals who run from the police are always associated with severe crime. The surprising reality is that over 90% of police chase cases originate from mundane traffic violations.
Resistant to this increasingly popular shift, Sheriff Toby Shelley of Syracuse has confirmed his department will continue to pursue stolen vehicles. According to department policy, if a suspect displays an intention to escape capture by ignoring the command to stop, it warrants a high-speed pursuit.
While determining the necessity of a chase, deputies take into account several factors. They weigh in the road and weather conditions, area’s population density, the level of vehicle and pedestrian traffic, how the suspect drives, the seriousness of the committed offense, and consideration of anyone else who may be in the police or suspect’s car.
Some pursuits initiated by the sheriff office have unfortunately ended in accidents. In one such incident on January 13, a traffic pursuit ended with three civilians hospitalized. Deputies, in an attempt to join a traffic chase, collided with another car in downtown Syracuse.
This collision involved two sheriff’s deputies, who were en route to join a traffic pursuit at Harrison and South State streets near the OnCenter. The pursuit had been initiated about 10 minutes earlier. The officers reportedly had their lights and sirens activated during the incident. Three teenagers were eventually arrested in connection with the stolen car involved.
Police departments are increasingly evoking changes in their pursuit policies, limiting high-speed chases only to instances where violent crime is suspected. According to a state police policy, officers are recommended to make every reasonable effort to capture suspects attempting to flee in a vehicle.
Nevertheless, other county law enforcement agencies including Erie, Cayuga, and Monroe county, maintain that a chase is justified whenever a suspect refuses to stop and uses a vehicle to escape. The policy is silent on the specific course of action when dealing with a stolen vehicle.
The post Contrasting Police Policies on Stolen Vehicles Spur National Debate appeared first on Real News Now.
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