New SOPS for NSW Police response driving

[Dave_au]

It reads a little anti-police:

From SMH:

No more cutting to the chase for police
By Kelly Burke
November 11, 2005

Reckless police officers who ignore their supervisors' orders to call off high-speed pursuits will be reined-in with the introduction of a new response system across the state today.

Under a new colour-coded system of driving, police pursuing break-and-enter, theft and minor car crash suspects will be prevented from conducting high-speed chases. With these code-blue incidents police will be prevented from using lights or sirens and must obtain permission from a regional command centre before escalating the pursuit.

A code-red response, which allows for police pursuit after contacting regional command, will be limited to armed hold-ups, sieges, serious domestic violence incidents and car crashes resulting in serious injury.

Only police cars fitted with electronic sirens and lights will be permitted to engage in high-speed chases.

A Herald investigation this year revealed that since 1994, 62 people, including nine passers-by and two police officers, died as a result of NSW police pursuits. It also found that police often lied, ignored commands to cease pursuits, failed to report pursuits and used unrecorded radio channels to evade supervision. Internal police minutes and correspondence show that in other cases supervisors turned a blind eye to unauthorised chases.

The new system was successfully tested in eight local area commands, the Minister for Police, Carl Scully, said yesterday.

High-speed chases were to be used as a last resort, he said, with the new system giving police clearer parameters, as well as providing greater safety to officers and the broader community.

"Police must pursue fleeing offenders. To do otherwise would send offenders a clear message that they can evade police if they drive off at speed," he said. "But [chases] are a last resort and used only when the circumstances are serious enough."

Under the system, a pursuit must be terminated when the danger to the public or the police involved outweigh the need for immediate apprehension of the offenders.

In the year to June, the crash rate in NSW rose to its highest in six years. Nearly one in seven high-speed police car chases ended in a crash, despite attempts by police chiefs to tighten control of potentially deadly pursuits.

In official figures obtained by the Herald, of the 2146 pursuits carried out in 2004-05, 284 ended with a collision, resulting in the deaths of three people. Scores more were injured in 68 of those chases.

Mr Scully said yesterday that measures to reduce the danger of high-speed chases had been implemented. These included the installation of car videos for the highway patrol and the use of road spikes.

Also, NSW Police now required more accountability from local area and region commanders over police pursuits, Mr Scully said.

[RED_EL_XR8]

Notice how car theft is carefully omitted, so the little scrotes in your car can put their foot down and their thumbs up at police.

Whilst police should be accountable for their actions during a pursuit and must hold the safety of the public at large as priority, all the PR fluff fails to mention that most of the fatalities are the offenders themself. No policeman should be told not to pursue criminals!

Another Scully botch job for the sake of popularist policies. Well popular amongst a noisy minority.

[XA-Coupe]

I am with Red... the limp d!cks are just a joke.

[GenesiS]

Originally Posted by RED_EL_XR8

Notice how car theft is carefully omitted, so the little scrotes in your car can put their foot down and their thumbs up at police.

Whilst police should be accountable for their actions during a pursuit and must hold the safety of the public at large as priority, all the PR fluff fails to mention that most of the fatalities are the offenders themself. No policeman should be told not to pursue criminals!

Another Scully botch job for the sake of popularist policies. Well popular amongst a noisy minority.

Here here!!!

[CarBroker]

The new system was successfully tested in eight local area commands, the Minister for Police, Carl Scully, said yesterday.

... and the result was? 100% of the crooks got away, and no one was injured. Would that count as a success?

.... the pursuit must be terminated when the danger to the public or the police involved outweigh the need for immediate apprehension of the offenders.

Who could argue for pursuing crooks that drive away at speed given the above?

Also, NSW Police now required more accountability from local area and region commanders over police pursuits, Mr Scully said.

i.e. If you start -or authorise - a chase, your balls are on the line.

"Police must pursue fleeing offenders. To do otherwise would send offenders a clear message that they can evade police if they drive off at speed"

I think the message is clear. Very clear.

[BOSS 540]

Whilst I think Scully is full of it, and I dont have a problem with cops pursuing crims if the need arises, I have seen plenty of patrol cars speeding around no lights/ no sirens?. Maybe it was nearly 10.30 and they had to get to Macca's for breakfast, but good enough for us (demerit points, double demerits even) it should be good enough for cops to be accountable too, at least in high speed/high risk to (us) situations.

[XR Martin]

So next time I get waved over for a breath test I can just give them the finger and keep driving? Sweet!

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by RED_EL_XR8

Notice how car theft is carefully omitted, so the little scrotes in your car can put their foot down and their thumbs up at police.

Whilst police should be accountable for their actions during a pursuit and must hold the safety of the public at large as priority, all the PR fluff fails to mention that most of the fatalities are the offenders themself. No policeman should be told not to pursue criminals!

Another Scully botch job for the sake of popularist policies. Well popular amongst a noisy minority.

Funny that isn't it.

Ive lost count of the amount of people on ACA etc crying about losing their son / daughter to a police chase when he / she A) stole someones car and B) tried to run from the law.. If you ask me maybe they should run a few more of them into trees because they are only costing us money inside neways. I have no feeling for people who want to break the law, they are taking a risk and thats their problem.. These people don't deserve justice.

[Rodp]

Originally Posted by RED_EL_XR8

Notice how car theft is carefully omitted, so the little scrotes in your car can put their foot down and their thumbs up at police.

Whilst police should be accountable for their actions during a pursuit and must hold the safety of the public at large as priority, all the PR fluff fails to mention that most of the fatalities are the offenders themself. No policeman should be told not to pursue criminals!

Another Scully botch job for the sake of popularist policies. Well popular amongst a noisy minority.

Agreed 100%. If Police don't have the power and ability to pursue criminals, how exactly are they meant to catch them?

[aimzes]

gotta love it dont you. they dont want people to steal cars and they think its wrong that people steal cars but theyll still make it as hard as possible for the cops to bring em to justice.

personally i dont like the thought of an innocent motorist getting hit by a car being chased by the cops. but the driver of the stolen car chose to steal it. then he/she chose to run from the law. so if they have an accident because they are being chased after they broke the law then they should be the ones who get sued, or if they die and are under the age of 18 there gaurdians should deal with it... over tha age of 18 and they die then their estate no matter how big or small should be sold off and that money givin to the innocent bystander.

lol its just an idea proposed by a 21 yo whose sick of the crims getting off with s**t. so dont judge it too harshly haha.