Policy restrictiveness and police pursuits

Abstract

Police officers frequently receive criticism for excessive use of force and, at times, the criticism becomes litigation. The use of excessive force is manifest in areas such as the unauthorized use of firearms and the videotaped and much publicized beating of motorist Rodney King. However, recently police scholars and practitioners have come to realize that the use of police vehicle pursuits also have the potential to become deadly force. This issue is appearing with increasing frequency and it has resulted in the case of Sacramento County et al. v. Lewis being appealed to and decided by the US Supreme Court. This article analyzes the consequences of police departments having more, or less, restrictive policies in regard to police vehicle pursuits. Different elements of policy restrictiveness also are examined.

Citation

Becknell, C., Larry Mays, G. and Giever, D.M. (1999), "Policy restrictiveness and police pursuits", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 22 No. 1, pp. 93-111. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639519910256901