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SALT LAKE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT CHRONOLOGY OF PURSUIT POLICY REVISION

NCJ Number
142450
Date Published
1992
Length
34 pages
Annotation
This report presents the historical background and data pertinent to the development of the police pursuit-driving policy of the Salt Lake City Police Department.
Abstract
Beginning with August 1990 (last policy revision), significant events that contributed to the publishing of the new departmental pursuit policy (February 6, 1992) are dated and briefly described. The new policy addresses officer discretion to terminate a pursuit, limits pursuits to no more than three marked police vehicles, and details dispatch procedures. It also discusses crossing jurisdictional lines, both extending into other jurisdictions and receiving pursuits initiated by other agencies. The new policy addresses a point of futility, at which time the officer is advised to terminate pursuit in the interest of public safety. The new policy established an inhouse departmental Pursuit Review Board. Following the presentation of the chronology for policy development, national figures of a pursuit database are presented. The data address officer experience, pursuit termination, pursuits terminating in an accident, suspect reasons given for evading, suspect reasons for conceding pursuit, and the age and gender of fleeing drivers. The report also covers multijurisdictional pursuit policy commonalities, the results of three relevant surveys, and the official response of the Citizens' Advisory Committee.