Police Chases Down in PA

In 2008 there were 1,809 police vehicle pursuits, a drop of 6.3% from 2007. Fatalities resulting from the chases also fell from 13 to nine. The number of chases in Pennsylvania has been on the decline since 2002. Jack Lewis of the Pennsylvania State Police says that departments are becoming more reluctant to get involved in pursuits because of the risk to the public and to officers. He says police are increasingly choosing to trail suspects– keeping the car in sight instead of attempting to overtake it. Deciding whether to chase down a suspect is not up to individual officers– under state law every police department has its own set of guidelines for when police should initiate, continue or terminate a pursuit.