What police chases have you seen? (on the news, tv shows or real life) Do you think they're entertaining? What was one of the craziest ones you've ever seen? I saw one chase from my backyard (not what you think ) and I've seen plenty of crazy one on the news and on tv shows like World's Wildest, Hot Pursuit, Most Shocking, Disorderly Conduct etc. Most of these shows are on Spike TV and Court TV. Have you seen any crazy ones?

Such chases usually end in a big wreck and some innocent person gets hurt. I think high speed chases on public roads are dangerous, unnecessary and should be banned.

I have never seen a police chase in person, only on TV. I’m not sure if I would want to see a police chase in person either. It would be my luck the idiot that the police were chasing would hit my vehicle, which would cause me to break out into raging hysterics ...

That one I saw from my backyard was from a two mile distance. I have a view of the freeway from there and when I saw the chase on tv I saw it was coming down near our neighborhood and saw it drive by with some cop cars behind it. It was from a far distance so I was not close to it.

It certainly is a tough question to answer when you're asked if televised police chases are entertaining. On the one hand, lives are at risk and there is a real danger out on the streets during a police chase. On the other hand, they are a guilty pleasure.

San Diego 1995:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efRsN3rQ9Q4

wrenchhead, I absolutely understand your argument. However, I do not believe that police chases should be banned. That would be sending out a negative message to the bad guys. The fact is, police work is not always pretty. People lose their lives and get hurt in the process. But sometimes, no matter what the danger, the police have to engage in high speed police chases because there's simply some criminals that cannot be allowed to roam the streets. Now, there are some tactics that are employed during dangerous, high speed chases. For example, what the LAPD does during many dangerous chases is that they fall back and let an air unit trail the suspect to discourage him/her from going at high speeds. It doesn't always necessarily work, but I'm just trying to give you an idea of a tactic that is employed in such a case. It's just a shame that so many politically-incorrect people are lashing out at the police when a police chase ends badly when all the blame should be placed on the bad guy. It sickens me to hear stories like that, where the cops turn into the bad guys...absolutely despicable.

Of course high speed chases are dangerous, but you can't just let criminals get away, can you?

Police chases are rare here in Wilmington, NC area. They happen once in a Blue Moon.

About two years ago someone stole a $60,000 Ford F-350 King Ranch Dually that was towing a large twin axle enclosed Trailer during the 2005 Myrtle Beach South Carolina Bike Week event. The trailer itself had four Harley-Davidson motorcycles inside along with some other items. When a local police officer went to stop the truck & trailer, the driver floored it. The police had to blow out the Ford’s tires but the driver still tried to keep going, eventually the Ford F-350’s rims\wheels were destroyed. The truck was brought to halt in front of the 'Nabor Dodge' dealership which is about 35 to 40 minutes away from Wilmington. The twin axel Trailer sustained minor damage and to the best of my knowledge the motorcycles were unharmed. The thief and his cohorts involved in the crime were of course arrested.

One of my friends who is a police officer told me about a short, low speed off-road chase where he had to chase a pickup truck with his Ford Expedition SSV K-9 Unit. That person was also arrested ...

With modern technology there are many, many ways to catch bad guys other than speeding down an urban street at 100+ MPH. Its just not necessary when most of the chases are not after hardened criminals but rather suspended licenses, stolen cars or drunks.

What type of technology do you think law enforcement officers are going to be able to use during a high speed police chase when they are the only ones chasing a car and they have nearly no backup and don't have any air support? They can't just let the car get away. As I stated before, even if it's just a simple stolen car, they'd be sending out the wrong message. Then that carjacker would just be even more tempted to commit the crime again knowing that the police aren't willing to go after him.

And letting a drunk go? Are you crazy? Under no circumstance should law enforcement officers let drunks get away with it. On the streets, they are a clear and present danger and they're a menace to other motorists.

There is that technology, but unfortunately, its all too expensive to put in use on the hundreds of police departments and the thousands of police squad cars. All police forces (or so I know) use procedures like setting up spike strips and the P.I.T. maneuver, but things like that are not guaranteed to stop the chase.

I've seen a lot of police chases on the television, but never in person, and only saw one on live news television (the rest were all on shows like Disorderly Conduct), it was a short chase involving a man fleeing from a few squad cars in a white Chevrolet Imapala (circa 2001). Wasn't the most spectacular chase, because the guy gave up after getting his car stuck in a ditch. The most insane I've ever seen was that one chase where this guy stole a military tank and drove it down the urban streets and highways in Los Angeles. I think its still up on YouTube. I saw it on The World's Wildest Police Videos a while back.

Not all law enforcement agencies are allowed to use the PIT maneuver and spike strips as effective means to end a car chase. Some agencies have a flat out no-pursuit policy. If you would have reffered to my first comment, you would have seen that I posted the video of the tank chase that took place in SAN DIEGO in 1995.

In the case of the stolen truck & trailer chase I spoke of above, the police blew out the tires with guns, not spike strips/stop sticks.

Well, I continue to think that high speed chases are a public menace and generally do more harm than good. I for don't want anyone to lose their car plus ending up in the hospital with a huge bill simply because the local cops were chasing some yokel in a stolen $3000 car.

Well, what are these methods you are referring to? In the case of drunk drivers, they are a danger to everyone else and a drunk driver must be stopped as soon as possible. It's no good letting them go home (as they could still cause lots of damage) and then arresting them.

The only way I can think of stopping cars with dangerous drivers without chasing them would be fitting remote control devices to every single vehicle on the road enabling the police to switch off the engine at will (this has been done with "bait" cars for trapping car thieves) but how much would that cost?

With all due respect wrenchhead, I wouldn't have this kind of debate with someone like Ford Guy who actually does police work (unless you've ever worked as a police officer yourself), just like I wouldn't tell a soldier who is serving in Iraq what he should be doing.

I am among the citizens at risk when this sort of thing happens so I think my opinion is valid regardless of what the police may think. I simply fail to see the need for high speed chases in heavy traffic on public streets when almost all of them end up in serious crashes.

I suspect opinions would change if the TV shows/newspapers/etc discussed the aftermath and detailed the cost of the crime as opposed to the cost of the damages/injuries directly and indirectly resulting from the chase.

Regarding your last point, I would certainly hope the folks on the forum could debate this or any other issue without animosity or hurt feelings - there is nothing personal in a difference of opinion.

But what do you suggest the police should do instead of pursuing offenders?

I totally respect your opinion wrenchhead. As a citizen, you do have a very important voice in this. However, my original argument stands. Keep in mind that this is coming from a guy who lives in the pursuit capital of the world

I think the best method of chasing a vehicle is by helicopter because the police are in less danger and the suspect would think that no one's really chasing him, but the down side is that you can't lower the helicopter to the street and stop him. Maybe undercover cop cars would work too in some cases. And Ford guy, if I may have offended you by saying I think cop chases are entertaining to watch I'm sorry. It's just something that gets you a little excited that's all.

There is absolutely no need to apologize MBSL65fan. Refer back to my first post:



As I said before, we're all entitled to out own opinion, but you're all aware now of what my stance is on the subject.

How does it work outside US? Drunk drivers, stealers, etc. are not let unpunished in other countries I guess.
I know that there are sometimes chases here in Europe too, but they are not shown on TV. It is maybe also that, the problem: the fact that they are shown on TV. Maybe that the "bad guy" who is chased makes that last longer because he knows that he is on TV?