The Pursuit Policy Memo
You are a patrol sergeant. A memo from the chief states: 'Effective immediately, officers shall not initiate a vehicle pursuit when the primary offense is a traffic infraction, unless the officer has reasonable suspicion that the driver is impaired or the vehicle is stolen. Officers must terminate any pursuit that exceeds five minutes or enters a school zone. Supervisors must review all pursuit reports within 72 hours.' At 3:05 p.m., Officer Lee pursues a driver who ran a red light. The license plate returns to a different vehicle, so Lee suspects the car is stolen. The pursuit lasts six minutes and passes within 100 feet of an elementary school. Lee argues the pursuit was justified because the driver nearly hit a pedestrian.
1. Based on the memo, was the pursuit authorized at its initiation? Explain your reasoning.
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Yes, initiation was authorized. The primary offense was a traffic infraction, which would normally prohibit a pursuit. However, the memo creates an exception when the officer has reasonable suspicion that the vehicle is stolen. Officer Lee developed that suspicion when the license plate returned to a different vehicle. That fact satisfies the exception, so starting the pursuit did not violate the memo.
2. Did the pursuit comply with the memo's termination requirements? Identify any violations and explain.
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No. The pursuit violated two separate termination requirements:
- Duration: The memo requires termination after five minutes; the pursuit lasted six minutes. Officer Lee should have terminated at the five-minute mark.
- School zone: The memo requires termination upon entering a school zone. Passing within 100 feet of an elementary school at 3:05 p.m. is entering a school zone. The pursuit should have been terminated at that point regardless of elapsed time.
Officer Lee's argument about the near-miss pedestrian does not create an exception. The memo's only exceptions apply to initiation, not to the termination rules.
3. What must you do as supervisor within 72 hours, and what should your review note about the pursuit?
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Within 72 hours, you must review Officer Lee's pursuit report. Your review should note:
- The pursuit was properly initiated under the stolen-vehicle exception.
- The pursuit violated the five-minute termination rule.
- The pursuit violated the school-zone termination rule.
- The near-miss pedestrian is a safety concern but does not justify either violation.
You should document these findings in the review and recommend remedial training on pursuit termination requirements.