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Development of Pursuit Guidelines for the State of Illinois: A Case Study

NCJ Number
155161
Journal
Police Studies Volume: 17 Issue: 3 Dated: (Fall 1994) Pages: 43-67
Author(s)
M T Charles; J H Auten
Date Published
1994
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This case study reviewed the process of pursuit guideline development in Illinois; between February 1993 and March 1994, researchers served as participant observers on the Police Pursuit Study Committee established by the Illinois State Senate.
Abstract
It was found that a cooperative atmosphere between State representatives and the law enforcement community resulted in the development of State pursuit guidelines that were generally acceptable to the police community. It was also discovered that an initiating event was necessary to bring the pursuit issue to the fore on the political agenda and thus begin the process of State pursuit guideline development. The team approach to management was implemented, and complementary management techniques of principled negotiation and incremental decisionmaking were utilized. The Pursuit Decision Tree proved highly successful as an aid in the process of incremental decisionmaking. Broad committee representation, past efforts by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, knowledgeable researchers and committee members, and the support of police agencies proved essential in the development of State pursuit guidelines that would be acceptable to diverse police agencies. 20 references, 1 endnote, and 1 figure