And the chase is off
Bratton called for a review of the department's policy late last year after several high-profile accidents were caused by police chases; in one incident, an infant boy's arm was severed when the SUV his parents were driving was sideswiped by a fleeing suspect.
The LAPD's new policy, which will be tested for a year, is still far less restrictive than those in other cities. In Los Angeles, officers who suspect a misdemeanor or felony is, has been, or is about to be committed--such as reckless driving or car theft--can still initiate a pursuit. "There is a great deal of misunderstanding," says LAPD Deputy Chief David Doan. "People are jumping up and down thinking we aren't going to chase down criminals anymore. We're trying to hold people accountable in the safest way possible." To that end, the department will rely more on helicopters to safely track fleeing cars from the air. As for those who flee, most of them, says Alpert, are not serious criminals but rather "deadbeats who make a stupid decision to run so they won't get caught for some minor offense."
The police union and even the media say they are behind the changes. "We agree with Bratton," says news director Wald, noting that most local stations have scaled back chase coverage since a 1998 incident when a distraught AIDS patient ended a pursuit by committing suicide on live television. He then adds: "But if the story is worthy of coverage--and I can't tell you exactly what that means--then it's our job to cover it."
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