When you’re in the news business, you’re used to listening to police scanner communications, and there are those among the public who do the same thing.
And we all have seen and watched those police chases that happen on freeways with a TV helicopter broadcasting it from above as it happens.
With the news this week that San Diego’s Commission on Police Practices wants to review police practices when it comes to police pursuits, there are those who support the civilian panel and there are those who defend the police department.
The incident that brought the issue to the forefront of the debate involved an unlicensed driver who three months ago was speeding in a residential neighborhood and took off when police tried to pull him over.
The guy reached speeds of 100 miles an hour during the pursuit, over five miles, before he crashed into the back of a car carrying a mother and her 4 and 8 year old sons, both of whom died when the car burst into flames.
While the overwhelming majority of police pursuits do not end in a deadly tragedy like that, questions are being raised by the civilian oversight panel.
Having heard enough scanner chatter through the years, there are a lot of times when police call off a pursuit because of the danger.
And while cops have to make tough decisions all the time about how to approach suspects and when to pursue and when not to pursue, it’s never a bad idea to review policies, especially when it might help prevent a rare but deadly result.
(Photo reporting partner 10News)