HOUSTON — Houston Police Chief Troy Finner on Thursday announced an updated police chase policy after several chases this year resulted in dangerous and sometimes deadly crashes.
Finner said the Houston Police Department had been reviewing their pursuit policy for months ahead of the revisions. He said the new policy is intended to minimize the risk of injury to both officers and the public.
Going forward, the chief said officers will only be able to engage in a pursuit if they can determine that the need to immediately take the suspect into custody outweighs the risk of harm to the public or police.
Factors used to evaluate the risk of injury include:
- Road, lighting and weather conditions
- Traffic conditions
- The time of day
- The speed of the suspect's vehicle
- The likelihood of a crash during the chase
- The length of the chase
According to Finner, the most significant policy change is that officers will be prohibited from giving chase when the only possible offense is a Class C violation, traffic violation or misdemeanor/nonviolent misdemeanor warrant. Supervisors, however, will still be able to authorize a chase when "there is an ongoing investigation."
Finner said the Houston Police Department had engaged in around 1,300 chases this year as of September, a 26% increase from last year. He said there's an average of five pursuits a day and the chases last 6 minutes on average.
"In my opinion, that's too many," Finner said.
The chief emphasized that just because officers disengage a pursuit, they will not give up taking the suspect into custody at a later time.
He also said supervisors will also have the ability to authorize a pursuit if a car's license plate does not match the vehicle or is reported stolen.
"We know for a fact that these criminals, violent criminals, in our city steal cars daily to commit violent crimes, carjackings, robberies, drive-by shootings," Finner said. "We know it for a fact."
In early August, two officers with HPD were relieved of duty pending the outcome of an investigation into a fiery wreck at the end of a chase that injured an innocent driver.
"The Houston Police Department recognizes the inherent danger of pursuing a suspect fleeing in a motor vehicle," Finner said in a statement after that crash.
Later that month, police said three juveniles were injured when the driver of their car lost control and rolled over while being chased by officers.
In late July, three innocent people, including two teens, were injured when police said a suspect involved in a chase crashed into them.
HPD also said an officer was injured earlier in July when she was trying to help with a chase. They said a pickup truck crashed into her patrol vehicle in an intersection. Fortunately, the officer only sustained minor injuries.
Houston Police Officers' Union President Dough Griffith issued this statement: "We believe the new policy allows for the protection of innocent citizens while still giving officers the ability to apprehend violent offenders who disregard the safety of others just to avoid arrest."
Watch the full announcement: