Can Deaths from Police Pursuits be Reduced?
Abstract
The paper will describe the dramatic increase in fatalities resulting from police pursuits in England and Wales between 1997 and 2003, and will examine some of the common characteristics of these events. However, the main thrust of the paper will be about how these incidents are investigated and how lessons are learned (or are not learned, as is more commonly the case). In addition to examining the investigations of a number of the deaths, the paper will consider the role of both local and national police policy on the management of police pursuits and what impact recent and current changes in policy are likely to have on the conduct of police pursuits and the resulting injury and fatality rate.