A Colorado police department is working to change its chase policy, brining back pursuits in certain situations.
On Monday, interim Aurora Police Chief Art Acevedo said the department was on the cusp of making a policy change concerning chases following a spike in crime and particularly violent weekend in the city, KDVR-TV reports. Specifics about the policy are still being worked on and there's no timeline for implementation, but Acevedo the motivation behind the change is to make it clear to lawbreakers that they won't be able to simply escape authorities by speeding away.
“Too many agencies in this state and this country are not chasing criminals, and they think they can flee, and the police are going to let them go. That’s going to change in Aurora," said Acevedo. "So I would tell these crooks, don’t be hanging out here, because unlike other agencies in big cities, there’s a good chance you’re to be chased and be caught and you’re gonna be brought to justice."
Although the policy is still being worked out, Acevedo stressed that chases would still only occur under certain situations and safety would still be the top priority when it comes to engaging in pursuits. But in order to combat spikes in crime, he says criminals need to know there will be consequences for their actions.
“It’s time for us to decide: Are we going to just let criminals out of going to jail or prison where they belong when they’re going out shooting and violating the safety and the peace of this community? Or are we going to actually do something about it and catch them?” said Acevedo.
