Patterico's Pontifications

1/21/2007

Cops Should Be Able to Chase Bad Guys

Filed under: Crime,General — Patterico @ 12:49 pm



In L.A., they apparently don’t want the cops to chase the criminals anymore. At the very least, the rules are so restrictive that it amounts to almost the same thing.

It’s this kind of bureaucratic thinking that upsets many people with respect to the Border Patrol shooting case. Regardless of what you think of the facts of the case, I think we can all agree that it’s outrageous (if true) that Border Patrol agents apparently aren’t allowed to pursue fleeing suspects. And that appears to be the case — at least if the facts are reported accurately in this story from the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin:

“It is a violation of Border Patrol regulations to go after someone who is fleeing,” [Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Kanof] said. “The Border Patrol pursuit policy prohibits the pursuit of someone.”

If that’s really true, then something is really wrong here. Cops need to be able to chase the bad guys. Otherwise, what’s the point of having cops?

16 Responses to “Cops Should Be Able to Chase Bad Guys”

  1. Tell me again: George Bush is one of the best Presidents we’ve had this year…..

    Duke (2d4db0)

  2. Our honorable host wrote:

    Cops need to be able to chase the bad guys. Otherwise, what’s the point of having cops?

    To provide Affirmative Action jobs in Philadelphia?

    All kidding aside, that sounds insane, until you consider what happened with the Border Patrol: if they pursue, what are the rules of engagement? Are they allowed to fire at a fleeing suspect if it is apparent that the suspect will outdistance them and get away if firearms are not used? Must they accept that the suspect will escape if they do not fire?

    The Border Patrol agents policed the area, trying to remove all evidence of having discharged their weapons, because they knew that they were in the wrong as far as policy goes; that many of your readers disagree with the policy is apparent.

    From what little I know of the subject, some jurisdictions have far more restrictive policies on automobile pursuits; it’s hardly surprising that some have decided it’s very dangerous to pursue on foot as well.

    I’m just glad that I don’t have to be the one setting the policy on this!

    Dana (71415b)

  3. Maybe we need to recreate the thief-taker system.

    Kevin Murphy (0b2493)

  4. If I was still in the mood to defend Bush, I would suggest as my last refuge that Bush and his people went after these agents for the purpose of drawing attention to and creating public outrage against the pro-criminal policies.

    The Democrats and their media aren’t touching this story because they are on Bush’s side but they have created such an anti-Bush atmosphere that they worry everyone will side with the agents which would require Dems to publicly defend Bush or else face snowballing opposition to their liberal crime policies.

    J Curtis (d21251)

  5. I just checked the Border Patrol sites (authorized like Local 2544) and they are saying that it is against BP policy for an agent to persue a suspect.
    I also read that if they are in persuit, they are not allowed to exceed the speed limit unless authorized by a supervisor.
    So to engage in persuit, they must a) get permission to do so and b) get permission to exceed the designated speed limit.
    The BP sites also state that most BP ignore this rule otherwise they would catch no one.
    Perhaps that is why there are 44 BP on “rubber gun” detail right now, just from one sector.

    retire05 (663827)

  6. I agree. And I’ll go one further. We need to arm cops with grenade launchers and anti-tank weapons so they don’t wear out their legs chasing the gangstas. Just let ’em bomb the bastards!

    TruthProbe (b0f421)

  7. b) get permission to exceed the designated speed limit.

    If the BP is hiring people incapable of judging how fast to drive, why are they given guns in the first place?

    Perfect Sense (b6ec8c)

  8. Perfect Sense; because the PC police want to turn the Border Patrol into the Three Monkey Corp; see no evil, hear no evil, stop no evil.

    retire05 (663827)

  9. NK,

    This is for you:

    Some agents complained that they are rarely allowed to pursue illegal immigrants, regardless of the situation. “If anyone runs from us, we don’t chase them,” said one California-based border patrol agent who requested anonymity. “We could have information that there is a nuke in the back of a van but we don’t have authority to chase them,” the agent said. “We’ve had radiation pagers go off and we’re still not allowed [by our supervisors] to give chase,” he said. “They are scared to death something will go wrong and there will be a huge liability.”

    Patterico,

    This article doesn’t involve testimony under oath but it is sourced so you might find it interesting.

    DRJ (f4c219)

  10. Just to make it clear, here is a named source for the Border Patrol’s apparent policy of “no pursuit without a supervisor’s permission”:

    The border patrol operates under a single pursuit policy, said Andrea Zortman, a border patrol spokeswoman. “Each pursuit is different,” she said. “A case involving a marijuana load is going to be different than pursuing a human trafficker.”

    A number of factors are assessed by a local supervisor, including weather, road conditions, and location “and then it falls on the supervisor to determine if [pursuit] is okay,” Zortman said. “We have to be aware of the safety for everyone, our agents, those we are pursuing and anyone nearby.”

    It sounds to me like most pursuits – and perhaps all of them – must be “assessed by a local supervisor” and approved before the agents may pursue a suspect.

    DRJ (f4c219)

  11. DRJ:

    Fascinating, and unfortunate.

    Very bad criminals tend to run away from police. The guy who is just trying to cross illegally might run; the dude with six kilos of meth will run.

    Weather, road conditions and location, huh?

    Border Patrol Officer: We’ve got two armed people driving away from us with two kidnapped juveniles in the back of their pickup truck.

    Supervisor: OK, I’m checking the weather. What are the road conditions?

    BPO: Clear, except for the people who are now driving at 90 miles per hour away from us. We are stopped.

    Supervisor: So the kidnappers have guns?

    BPO: Well, they did when they left 60 second ago. They’re now a mile away.

    Supervisor: OK, go chase them!

    BPO: Yeah. They’re gone.

    –JRM

    JRM (355c21)

  12. Dear President Calderon;

    Under an agreement between President Bush and the former President Vicente Fox, please notify your citizens of these policies that will be strictly imposed:

    In the event that your citizens have been spotted by our Border Patrol, and your citizens happen to be on foot, please advise them to run as our Border Patrol are not allowed to chase them.

    Should your citizens be attempting to bring drugs, weapons, WMDs or any other product into the United States by vehicle, please advise them to speed as our Border Patrol cannot exceed the speed limit without supervisory permission which ususally takes a minute or two while we determine certain factors like weather, road conditions, visability due to the dust their vehicle will be throwing up due to the Mexican citizen’s excessive speed.

    Your citizens may not even notice the presence of our Border Patrol because they have been advised that if they spot your citizens, they are to stay out of sight in order to avoid any confrontation.

    If there is anything else we can do in order to facilitate the exodus of another 10% of your population that you do not want to assume reponsibility from, please advise. We are here to appease please.

    Sincerely,

    Department of Homeland Security per G.W. Bush

    retire05 (663827)

  13. “I also read that if they are in persuit, they are not allowed to exceed the speed limit unless authorized by a supervisor.”

    A lot of this follows a number of chases in southern California that resulted in horrendous collisions. One a few years ago, occurred in front of a high school and killed some kids on the way to school. Pursuit in deserted desert areas should not be affected by rules on pursuit in populated communities but that’s the way bureaucracies work.

    Mike K (416363)

  14. Leave it to SMELL A to give crinimals the right to rob and rape run down your kid and the police cant chase them. Looks like the CITY OF ANGELS needs to get a through cleaning out and dump the tash thats in there now

    krazy kagu (9a4519)

  15. Isn’t it ironic that cops pursuing Americans Highway patrol, local cops, FBI etc can speed to catch a speeder or a litterbug but invaders carrying who knows what cannot be pursued. Raises a lot of questions as to how far Bush will go to to get his amnesty and his North American union as he is marching on toward world government

    rich (22938c)


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