13.031 - Vehicle Eluding/Pursuits
Effective Date: 02/19/21
13.031-POL
1. Definitions
Eluding - For the purposes of this section, eluding exists when an officer operating an authorized police vehicle issues by hand, voice, emergency lights or siren a visual and/or audible signal to the driver of a vehicle to stop and, after a reasonable time to yield in response to the officer’s signal, the driver does any of the following:
- Increases speed
- Takes evasive actions
- Refuses to stop
Pursuit – For the purposes of this section, a pursuit exists when an officer, in an effort to keep pace with and/or immediately stop or apprehend an eluding driver, drives in a manner that is outside of normal traffic restrictions.
2. Unmarked Units Without Emergency Equipment Will Not Engage in Pursuits
3. Officers in Pursuits Will Activate Emergency Lights and Shall Use Their Sirens as Necessary to Warn Others of the Emergency Nature of the Situation
4. Officers Will Not Engage in a Vehicle Pursuit Without Probable Cause to Believe a Person in the Vehicle Has Committed a Violent Offense or a Sex Offense and Both of the Following:
- Probable cause to believe that the person poses a significant imminent threat of death or serious physical injury to others such that, under the circumstances, the public safety risks of failing to apprehend or identify the person are considered to be greater than inherent risk of pursuit driving; and
- The Officer has received authorization to continue the pursuit from a supervisor.
5. Officers Will Cease Pursuit When the Risk of Pursuit Driving Outweighs the Need to Stop the Eluding Driver
Factors to be considered in weighing the risk of the pursuit include:
- Underlying reason for pursuit
- Location
- Direction of travel and roadway geometry or configuration
- Weather and roadway conditions
- Speed
- Traffic conditions (pedestrians and vehicles)
- Speed and operation of the eluding vehicle
6. The Department Will Not Discipline Officers, Supervisors, or Commanders for Declining to Initiate or Deciding to Terminate a Pursuit
7. Officers Must Notify Communications of Pursuits
The primary unit shall immediately advise Communications when initiating a pursuit and shall update relevant details including:
- Reason for pursuit
- Location
- Direction
- Description of suspect vehicle and suspect(s)
- Speed
- Traffic conditions (pedestrians and vehicles)
After joining the pursuit, the secondary unit shall assume the responsibility for all radio transmissions from the primary unit.
8. Communications Will Notify Supervisors of Pursuits
The Communications Section shall immediately notify the primary unit’s supervisor and watch commander of the pursuit.
If the pursuing unit’s supervisor is not available, Communications will notify another supervisor in the precinct.
9. Supervisors Will Approve and Monitor All Pursuits
10. The Controlling Supervisor is Responsible for the Pursuit
The controlling supervisor’s responsibility extends only to the question of whether the pursuit is within policy. In order to make this determination, the controlling supervisor shall immediately establish radio contact with the primary unit and gather relevant information as described in paragraph 7 as soon as practicable.
11. Police Vehicles with Civilian Riders or Passengers Shall Not Participate in a Pursuit, in Any Capacity
12. Marked Police Vehicles Take Priority in Pursuits
Police motorcycles and unmarked police vehicles with emergency equipment may initiate pursuits. However, marked police vehicles will assume the primary positions as soon as possible.
13. Intentional Vehicle-to-Vehicle Contacts Are Prohibited as Pursuit-Ending Tactics Except as Justified Under the Use of Force Policy
Intentional vehicle-to-vehicle contacts such as the Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT), ramming, or the use of a patrol car as a roadblock are uses of force that officers may use only when consistent with Manual Section 8.300 and must be reported under 8.400.
Only personnel who have been trained in the PIT may engage in this technique.
14. Only Officers Trained in the Use of Tire Deflation Devices such as Stop Sticks May Deploy Them
Tire deflation devices are not intended for use on motorcycles. Use of tire deflation devices on a motorcycle will be considered use of deadly force.
Officers may deploy tire deflation devices only when consistent with Manual Section 8.300 and only after giving the deployment location over the radio to other units. If the primary pursuing officers do not acknowledge, then the tire deflation devices will not be used.
The controlling supervisor reserves the right to override or rescind the decision to deploy.
15. The Officer Deploying Stop Sticks is Responsible for Reporting Use
After each deployment the officer shall collect damaged sections of the device and complete a Stop Stick Deployment Report (form 2.26).
The officer sends a copy of the form to Quartermaster along with the damaged Stop Sticks.
The officer sends a copy of the form to the Training Unit along with a copy of the Report.
Exception: Damaged Stop Sticks submitted as evidence will not go to the Quartermaster.
The Training Unit will inspect the damaged Stop Sticks, if necessary and work with the Quartermaster to arrange for disposition of the equipment.
See 13.031 PRO-1 Sending Damaged Stop Sticks to Quartermaster.
Officers will report the use of Stop Sticks per Manual Section 8.400. The officer will attach a copy of the Stop Stick Deployment Report to his or her Blue Team entry.
16. The Primary Officer or a Supervisor May Terminate a Pursuit
17. Officers will Disengage When Pursuit is Terminated
When a pursuit is terminated by the primary officer or a supervisor, pursuing officers will do the following:
- With ICV/BWV still recording, return to a normal driving pattern, obeying all traffic laws.
- Deactivate all emergency equipment.
18. Officers Will Not Reinitiate Pursuits That Have Been Terminated
Once a pursuit is terminated, no officer will pursue the same vehicle anywhere in the city.
Exception: An officer may reinitiate the pursuit if either of the following apply:
- An officer has an articulable basis to believe that a new violent crime has been committed;
OR
- A supervisor gives authorization to reinitiate the pursuit.
19. All Driver Officers Involved in a Pursuit will Complete a Blue Team Vehicle Pursuit Entry
Driver officers will detail their involvement in the pursuit using a Blue Team entry titled “Vehicle Pursuit”. In the incident summary, officers will detail:
- Light conditions
- Roadway lighting
- Traffic conditions
- Road conditions
- Weather conditions
- Whether their vehicle was a one- or two-officer car
- Whether their vehicle was marked
- Whether lights and sirens were activated
- Route of travel
When the officer has completed the Blue Team entry, he or she will forward the entry to the supervisor responsible for monitoring the pursuit.
Passenger officers involved in the pursuit will complete a witness officer statement and forward it to the reporting supervisor for attachment to the driver officer’s Blue Team entry.
20. Supervisors Will Review Video and Each Officer’s Blue Team Entry
The reporting supervisor will review video from the pursuit to assess circumstances of the initiation of the vehicle stop and the initiation, continuation, and termination of the pursuit. The supervisor will bookmark the relevant video for subsequent review.
The supervisor will ensure all driver officers involved in the pursuit complete a Blue Team entry titled “Vehicle Pursuit” and that the primary officer completes a GO report.
The supervisor responsible for monitoring a pursuit will review each officer’s Blue Team entry.
In the Comments Section of each officer’s Blue Team entry, the supervisor will include:
- A short summary of the pursuit
- What control they extended over the pursuit
- Whether the decision to initiate and/or maintain pursuit of an eluding vehicle was within policy
- Recommendations: training, OPA referral, commendation, etc.
The supervisor will attach any associated administrative reports to the Blue Team entry and then forward to the Chief of Police through the primary pursuing unit’s chain of command whether or not a suspect is apprehended.
Watch lieutenants and precinct captains will review the bookmarked portions of the video from all vehicles involved in the pursuit before inputting their comments into each officer’s Blue Team report.
21. Eluding Incidents Ending in a Vehicle Collision Trigger Notifications
A sergeant will respond to the scene of any known collision that involves an eluding vehicle, regardless of whether an officer has initiated pursuit following a driver’s refusal to stop a described in paragraph 1.
A Blue Team Pursuit entry is still required if a pursuit results in a collision. The responding sergeant will notify the sergeant of the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad and the chain of command up to the Patrol Operations Bureau Chief.
22. The Legal Unit Prepares an Annual Report
The Legal Unit will analyze pursuit reports and use that data to prepare an annual report for the Chief of Police.
13.031 PRO-1 Sending Damaged Stop Sticks to Quartermaster
Officer
1. Gathers damaged Stop Sticks after deployment.
2. Completes Stop Stick Deployment Form (2.26).
3. Sends damaged Stop Sticks and deployment form to Quartermaster.
4. Sends deployment form and copy of Report to the Training Unit.
Quartermaster
5. Receives damaged Stop Sticks and form.
6. Notifies the Training Unit that damaged Stop Sticks have been received.
Training Unit
7. Receives deployment report form and copy of Report.
8. Inspects damaged Stop Sticks received by Quartermaster, if necessary.
9. Arranges disposition of the Stop Sticks with Quartermaster. (Destroy, Return to manufacturer, etc..)