Police chases in Mississippi and the Nation

Jan. 1st

I find it interesting that the only people who do not believe in limiting police chases have not really studied the issue. Research shows that pursuing criminals does not decrease the incidence of people fleeing from the police.

In many states fleeing from the police is a misdemeanor, so then why is it so important for a policeman to increase the danger to the public by pursuing? Increasing the penalty that a person gets for fleeing from police is a deterrent.

Added to the already existing danger during a chase is that most of our police officers have little or no training in police pursuits. This is the equivalent to a brain surgeon with no training. Who would be his patient?

Pursuing allows the officer to the chance to be the judge and the jury, and passing sentence by literally chasing someone to death. Let's face it, police like to chase and use their cars as a deadly weapon police because they know that using a weapon would create a serious uproar. The use of police cars as weapons should be treated with this same uproar.

Many innocent people and law enforcement officers are killed and injured during police pursuits. I thought the goal of being a law enforcement officer was to protect and serve the public.

Instead we are being slaughtered by our own public servants.

Linda McCoy
Victim of a police pursuit in Brandon, Mississippi