Officer Alex studies the cost vs benefits of high speed police chases
It’s been a topic here in the last few months, but it’s going to be a topic now again after there have been two more local police chases that ended in death.
Before I go on, let me say to the officers reading this that may have been involved or may have had experiences like this in the past—myself being one of them—know that this isn’t about you. It’s about policy, and about the evolution of such.
There’s the school of thought that all crimes must be pursued to the end with vigor else criminals will think we’re soft and crime will run rampant. It’s a powerful school, but over the years one that I’ve come to realize must be tempered with wisdom.
In my first lesson, I was running radar on the I-24 Dragstrip between the 24/75 split and the Ridgecut (my local readers know exactly the one I speak of) and 88 in a 55 was worth my time, so off I went. Instead of pulling over, he (she?) stomped it, and so did I.
88 turned to 108 more quickly than you’d imagine, and as we proceeded down the Ridgecut at a lonely 3 a.m., I last recall seeing 118 on my own speedometer as I entered the curve with flashing yellow lights that advised a speed limit of 40… strongly.
My quarry was long gone but I stopped thinking about that car so much as the fact as I was starting to fish tail (at a more modest 90 by now) and it occurred to me if I continued or over-corrected, it was a crash I likely wouldn’t survive. The quick cost vs. benefit analysis left me feeling quite stupid. “Note to self,” I thought as I proceeded to the next exit (and the ensuing adrenaline dump).
Lesson two was a car chase also documented in the “On the Beat” archives on a prime-time Halloween night in a residential area known as East Lake. A chase by an outside agency to the south of our glorious city that wound its way up here, and one with such potential I recall violating our policy by making my car (and its driver) a road block to end that chase one way or the other.
And while I remember placing the ‘Vic in park and loosening my grip on the wheel to mitigate airbag damage, the suspect finally did stop (without impact), but again…cost vs. benefit. “Let it go.”
I don’t know what the two more recent chases were over; I haven’t heard of any local murders or child rapes occurring on those same days and no initial reason was listed in the press releases, but for the guy that ended up burning alive (though likely unconscious) on I-75, what was his offense I wonder?
Intoxicated? Speeding? The curiosity was genuine because in my own fatal-pursuit involvement as a secondary (or way, way beyond) car, I recall the man ultimately dying for having stolen a pressure washer.
I own a pressure washer. It was purchased used and I don’t put it to work nearly enough, and while I like it enough to not resell it myself, would I give my life for it? No, I can answer pretty quickly. I gave $100 bucks for it, but not my mortal coil, and I wouldn’t expect anyone else to do the same.
A civilized society is one based on rules; crimes cannot be ignored or go unpunished or the entire system breaks down into chaos. I get that. Without order, there is anarchy, and no matter how romantically depicted anarchy is by such delusional movies as V for Vendetta, anarchy stops being fun after the first 15 minutes or so. I’m saying all this to paint a picture that I’m all about crime and punishment…but I’m also about scale, and reasonableness.
Chase that which can be safely chased, but don’t confuse “contempt of cop” with “doing more harm than good.”
The 16-year-old just learning to drive that’s in the path, or the kid chasing a ball into the street, even the drunk that steps onto E. 23rd St. into its path (another true story) isn’t worth the price of that stolen love seat / couch / (name your bizarre object).
But that’s just me.
The most dangerous car chases are best ended with the arrest of the driver where they’re sleeping in their Motel 6, not with their bodies (and yours) entangled in a fiery mass…but this is just my opinion (column).
Stay safe, boys & girls.
When officer Alexander D. Teach is not patrolling our fair city on the heels of the criminal element, he spends his spare time volunteering for the Boehm Birth Defects Center.