By Katie Hyson / KPBS / August 6, 2024
The Commission on Police Practices recommended last month that the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) make changes to their vehicle pursuit policy. At the top of their list: Limiting vehicle pursuits to incidents involving violent felonies.
The San Diego Police Officers Association (SDPOA) is pushing back against the suggestion, calling it horrific and dangerous. They didn’t respond to requests for an interview, but have been posting on social media about it. They wrote that the change would prevent them from pursuing people suspected of things like driving under the influence, dealing fentanyl, battery and human trafficking.
The commission began reviewing the department’s policy after a December car chase caused a crash that killed Mason and Malikai Orozco-Romero, just four and eight years old. “The family was just taking a drive,” said commissioner Armando Flores. “There’s no need for recklessness to that degree on the streets.”
The commission analyzed more than 1,000 chases over the past five years. They found that the majority of SDPD chases started over minor infractions, like speeding or running a red light. About 1 in 5 involved some kind of collision, most of which left at least one person injured.
The pursuits disproportionately involved Black and Latino residents.
“It’s become normalized to us,” said Flores, who grew up in Southeast San Diego. “We really just see cops speeding by and we give it no second thought.”
The commission made preliminary policy recommendations last month. They include requiring supervisory oversight of the pursuits, creating a vehicle pursuit review board, and implementing training. Flores said they also want to see the department begin to better track data around these pursuits and review their effectiveness.
The main recommendation — to limit vehicle pursuits to violent felonies – is not unusual.
The commission found police departments in many major cities already do this, including San Jose. National policy groups, including the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Police Executive Research Forum, recommend vehicle pursuits be limited to violent crimes.
Flores said the commission’s recommendations are preliminary for a reason. They want to talk with the SDPOA to get their feedback and refine them. As for the union’s social media campaign, Flores said, “The last few posts have just been very pointed and not really in the context of what the actual policy is.”
“We just need collaboration,” he said. “We need to really know that the community has a voice, and there’s no ‘us versus them.’” He said he hopes the union will attend one of the oversight commission’s meetings.
“The family was just taking a drive”???? WHAT? The average person would have stopped when they saw red lights flashing. They would NOT have taken off. DMV laws tell you what to do when flashing lights are behind you. “Remain stopped while the red lights are flashing. If you fail to stop, you may be fined up to $1,000 and your driving privilege could be suspended for one year”. The community needs to understand there are laws made by the people they vote for, and it’s a law enforcement officer’s job to enforce the law. If they have a beef about the laws take it up with those who make them. If this is a common occurrence for Black and Hispanic drivers, maybe they should follow the laws. they and no one else has the right to pick and choose what laws they will follow or not. How can anyone following behind another car, see thru a back window and usually two headrests to determine the race of someone???? Those two little boys died because of their father’s choice to lead a chase. They would be alive today, if their father had just stopped. I hope he remembers for the rest of his life, that his poor decision is what killed his little boys. The commissioners “we” vs “them” is in the eyes of the beholder. It’s law breakers vs not lawbreakers. People do not have the right to pick and choose what laws they want to follow or not.
Please go sit in the corner with a pointy hat Pats . These were innocent bystanders on their way to a sports practice .
Limit pursuits to violent felonies? So if someone breaks into my house when I am sleeping, I awaken and they run then get in a car and drive away, the cops can’t chase them? A granny on the street has her purse taken by a guy who displays no weapon, the cops can’t chase him? Or my car gets stolen from Newport Avenue and a cop sees it happen, he has to ignore that and let the bad guy drive away?? NO FREAKING WAY! That will lead to more lawlessness and law abiding people becoming more and more the victim.
Train the cops on pursuit, use helicopters more, equip the police with proven pursuit stoppers like the Grappler.
There is a point when the risks to the public outweigh the benefits. Sure people run after a minor infraction , they isn’t why they run!
We have to be smarter. I like the idea of helicopter pursuits while the cars hang back.
We also need a city attorney that isn’t so quick to settle for millions to everyone coming at us for money. That’s our money not your’s miss.