February 22, 2023

Special Order

No. 23-04

TO: POLICE PERSONNEL

SUBJECT: General Order ---341.00 – Pursuit Driving

341.00 PURSUIT DRIVING

341.01 Purpose

This policy establishes guidelines for vehicle pursuits.

341.02 Policy

Officers making the decision to engage in pursuits must continuously evaluate the risk factors involved,
possible consequences, and the safety of the public and involved officers.

341.03 Definitions

Authorized Emergency Vehicle: A police vehicle equipped with operable emergency equipment as
designated by state law

Code 1: Driving in compliance with all traffic laws and without emergency lights and siren

Code 3: Driving while operating emergency lights and siren

Primary Unit: The police unit that initiates a pursuit or any unit that assumes control of the pursuit

Secondary Unit: Any police vehicle that becomes involved as a backup to the primary unit and follows the
primary unit at a safe distance

Supervisory Unit: The supervisor monitoring, directing, or participating in the pursuit

Tire Deflation Device (TDD): A department approved device that is intended to deflate the tires of a fleeing
vehicle to safely end vehicular pursuits, while placing paramount importance on the safety of the officers,
the public and the suspects.

Vehicle Pursuit: An attempt by an officer in an authorized emergency vehicle to apprehend a fleeing

suspect who is actively attempting to elude the police in a vehicle.

341.04 Primary Unit Responsibilities

A. The primary unit must be an authorized emergency vehicle with fully operable emergency lights
and siren. Pursuing units will operate at Code 3 only.

B. The primary unit will notify the dispatcher of the following:

1. Reason for the pursuit and nature of the violation

 2. Location and direction of the pursuit

3. Description of the occupants and vehicle

4. When entering another jurisdiction

C. Officers and supervisors who pursue vehicles must justify in the “Pursuit Critique,” their decision to
pursue and their decision to continue pursuing the vehicle.

D. If the suspect is known, the pursuit will be discontinued unless the suspect is involved in a violent
felony with an imminent threat to public safety.

E. Unless otherwise directed by a supervisor, no more than two (2) patrol units and one (1) supervisory
unit will be involved in any pursuit. This includes units from other jurisdictions who are assisting or
being assisted.

341.05 Secondary Unit Responsibilities

A. The secondary unit will make visual contact with the primary unit as soon as practical, assume
responsibility for radio communications, (if the primary unit is a one-officer unit), and aid the primary
unit, as needed.

B. Available units not involved in the pursuit will monitor radio traffic and, if safe and practical, stop
cross traffic at major intersections to allow a clear path of travel for the pursuit. Non-assigned units
will not become directly involved in the pursuit.

341.06 Dispatcher Responsibilities

A. The dispatcher will close the channel for normal radio traffic. The channel will be used only for the
units assigned to the pursuit. The dispatcher will maintain radio discipline, accurately record the
information provided by the pursuing units and relay it to appropriate personnel, including but not
limited to:

1. Watch commander

2. NCIC operators

3. Non-pursuit units

4. Other jurisdictions

B. The dispatcher should also relay information on stolen vehicle(s), offenses committed by the
vehicle occupants, and outstanding warrants, if known.

C. In addition, the Communications Section will relay to other jurisdictions the following:

1. Notification the pursuit is about to enter their jurisdiction

2. Location and direction of the pursuit

3. Reason for the pursuit and nature of violation

4. Description of occupants and vehicle

5. Number of units involved in the pursuit

 6. Whether or not assistance is needed

7. When the pursuit is leaving their jurisdiction or location of termination

341.07 Supervisor’s Responsibilities

A. The controlling supervisor will monitor the radio traffic of the pursuit and assume control by giving
directions deemed necessary to implement this policy, make visual contact with the pursuit, if
possible, assume control of the pursuit, and make decisions about continuing or terminating the
pursuit based upon their knowledge or a recommendation from the involved units.

B. After the conclusion of a pursuit, the supervisor will discuss the pursuit with the involved officers
and review the pursuit with the entire shift, including Communications personnel if available.

C. If deemed necessary, will cause all vehicles involved in a pursuit to be taken to the City Shop for
inspection and/or repairs.

D. The controlling supervisor will ensure officers initiating pursuits that terminate due to an arrest will,
if needed, provide for arraignment of arrested persons, provide disposition of any passenger(s),
provide for the disposition of the pursued vehicle, and coordinate all reports, citations, and criminal
charges. As a matter of professional courtesy, when a supervisor from the agency where the
pursuit terminated responds to the location of termination, they will be informed of pertinent
information regarding the pursuit.

E. Pursuits will be reviewed by the chain of command up to the Division Commander to determine if
the pursuit was within this policy. Minor policy violations and remedial actions shall be noted in the
Blue Team comments and documented in the Employee Career Development & Coaching Log.
Significant or repeated policy violations are addressed through the disciplinary process.

F. Division Commanders may request a meeting by the pursuit review board to examine a particular
pursuit when special or unusual circumstances exist.

341.08 Pursuit Decision Making

A. Decision Making Guidance

1. Officers and supervisors involved in a vehicle pursuit are required to continuously evaluate
the need to immediately apprehend the suspect against the risks created by continuing the
pursuit. Vehicle pursuits are not always predictable, and decisions made pursuant to this
policy shall be evaluated according to the totality of the circumstances reasonably known
at the time of the pursuit.

2. A vehicle pursuit shall be terminated if the danger created by the pursuit exceeds the
danger posed by allowing the suspect to escape

3. Officers should be familiar with and use the list of pursuit risks as a guide in determining
whether to initiate or continue a pursuit.

4. The listed pursuit risks do not represent every possible risk that an officer should weigh in
determining whether a pursuit should be discontinued. The safety of the public will always
remain uppermost in deciding whether to continue the pursuit.

B. Pursuit Risks
 1. When deciding whether to continue a pursuit, the involved officers and supervisors should
take into consideration the specific facts and circumstances that may be known at the time.
This includes but is not limited to:

a. The seriousness of the offense

b. The risk to the public and the involved officer(s) created by the Code 3 operation
of a police vehicle

c. Road, weather, and environmental conditions (number of lanes, condition of the

roadway, the existence of intersections or traffic control devices, configuration of
the roadway, lighting on the roadway, location of the roadway, etc.)

d. The speed of the police vehicle and/or the speed of a vehicle being pursued in
relation to the posted speed limit for the roadway

e. Amount of vehicular and pedestrian traffic

f. The relative performance capabilities of the pursuit vehicle and vehicle being
pursued

g. Visibility due to weather or other obstacles

h. The time of day or night and/or the day of the week

i. The pursuing officer’s driving ability

j. The officer(s) ability to communicate by radio or otherwise with other officer(s)

and/or the Communications Center

k. Active involvement in the pursuit by Police Air Support

l. Passengers/children in (or on) the suspect vehicle

m. The length of time that the pursuit continues.

n. The existence of special circumstances (i.e., school zones, hospitals, construction

zones)

341.09 Pursuit Termination

A. The pursuit will be terminated when any of the following occurs:

1. When the risk to public safety outweighs the need to immediately apprehend the suspect

2. The pursuit is terminated by the primary, secondary officer, or a supervisor

3. When radio discipline is not maintained, and the pursuit units are unable to communicate
effectively with the pursuit supervisor and/or the primary dispatcher

4. If visual contact is lost other than momentarily

5. Emergency equipment failure

B. When the pursuit is terminated:

 1. The terminating officer or supervisor will inform the primary dispatcher, who will notify other
units or agencies involved of the decision to terminate

2. All units will immediately cease the pursuit and reduce to Code 1 as soon as practical to
allow for the orderly flow of traffic.

3. An offense report will be completed listing all known information about the vehicle, the
suspect, and circumstances involved in the pursuit.

C. Officers deciding to terminate a pursuit because the danger to the public and/or other officers
outweighs the need to immediately apprehend the offender will not be criticized or disciplined.

341.10 Prohibited Practices

A. Only police vehicles equipped with operable emergency lights and siren will participate in a pursuit.

B. Police motorcycles and vehicles without roof mounted emergency light systems will immediately
notify the dispatcher and will discontinue the pursuit when marked vehicles, primary and secondary,
take up the pursuit.

C. Officers in pursuit will not intentionally bump, ram, force a vehicle from the roadway, or use a vehicle
as a barricade to terminate the pursuit unless deadly force is authorized, and the action can be
accomplished without injury to third parties.

D. Officers in pursuit will not shoot at the suspect vehicle unless deadly force is authorized.

E. Officers will not pursue vehicles the wrong way on a freeway, divided roadway, or one-way street,
but may continue pursuing with the flow of traffic on an adjacent roadway.

F. Officers’ vehicles transporting prisoners, witnesses, suspects, or complainants will not engage in
pursuits.

G. The controlling supervisor will not be involved in the pursuit as either the primary or secondary unit.

H. Officers will not pursue fleeing motorcycles at high rates of speed when traffic violations are the
only known offenses

341.11 Annual Review of Reports

A. All pursuit critiques are reviewed annually by the Pursuit Review Board to ensure compliance with
policy and to identify areas for improvement or training. This review will be conducted by members
designated by the South Patrol Deputy Chief, and will include, at a minimum:

1. South Patrol Deputy Chief (chairperson)

2. (1) Patrol Lieutenant

3. (1) Patrol Sergeant

4. (1) Patrol Officer

5. (1) representative from the Personnel and Training Unit

6. Any additional number of personnel deemed necessary by the South Patrol Deputy Chief
B. The board will submit a written report outlining their conclusions to the Chief of Police. This report
will include, but not be limited to:

1. Trends or patterns revealed by this review

2. Number of pursuits by watch

3. Number of pursuits resulting in arrest

4. Number of pursuits terminated prior to arrest

5. Number of pursuits terminated by supervisor

6. Number of pursuits terminated by officers

7. Number of pursuits involving accidents

8. Number of pursuits resulting in injury

9. Number of civilians injured/severity

10. Number of officers injured/severity

11. Recommendations for improvements in pursuit training or policy

12. Recommendations regarding prevention of pursuit injuries

13. Other recommendations or comments determined necessary by the panel

C. This board will convene as soon as practical after the last day of the calendar year to prepare an
annual report. The final report is due within forty-five (45) calendar days from the date of the first
meeting.

D. Additional meetings of the board may be called at the discretion of the Chairperson.

E. The final report of this board will be available for review by members of the department.

APPLICATION
Professional Standards will ensure that the above policy is incorporated into the proper General
Order. Division/section supervisors shall ensure any necessary Standard Operating Procedures
are created to abide by the policy.

EFFECTIVE DATE
This Special Order is effective immediately and shall remain in effect until incorporated into the
General Orders. This Special Order supersedes any previous directive that may be in conflict.

Derick Miller

Chief of Police