Deadly Weekend Leads To Questions Concerning High Speed Pursuits
Posted June 4, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
In light of the devastating stolen car chase that ended with the deaths of three teens, police procedures concerning high-speed pursuits are once again being questioned. The S.I.U. is probing police involvement in the crash, which took place on Saturday, but haven’t yet deemed it a high-speed pursuit, saying only that police were following the vehicle and that Global Positioning System (GPS) data will help them determine how fast the cruisers were travelling.
“That’s going to give us some hard facts as to what the distance and the speed was of the cruisers involved in this collision,” admits SIU spokesperson Rose Bliss. “As well we’re going to be looking at the crash data module from the taxi cabs.”
Due to staggering multimillion-dollar lawsuits from the families of innocent victims, some big cities in the U.S. have cut down on pursuits, choosing to only go after known violent and dangerous criminals or those putting public safety at risk.
Premier Dalton McGuinty admitted it was time to take a closer look at the issue in Ontario.
“Every time something like this happens, it’s an opportunity for police protocols to be reviewed,” he said.
Former Police Union President Craig Bromell admits it’s difficult decide how to handle a pursuit.
“A helicopter wouldn’t have helped here,” he said, referring to Saturday’s incident. “It was too quick. A spike belt wouldn’t have helped, and I’m not sold completely on the spike belts myself.”
Statement By Chief Bill Blair
“I want to take this opportunity to express my condolences and sympathy to the three families for their tragic losses. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.
“The matter is now being investigated by the Special Investigations Unit. I have complete confidence in the SIU. We will cooperate fully with their investigation.
“The Police Services Act requires us, in the aftermath of an SIU investigation, to conduct a review. Our review of TPS policies, procedures and training will be thorough and exhaustive.
“We have a duty to investigate and apprehend those who are suspected of breaking the law. We cannot always control their dangerous conduct, but we will do everything we can to ensure that such tragedies can be avoided where possible.”
