Yahoo Autos Florida Highway Patrol Is Taking The Gloves Off
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Different law enforcement agencies have their own pursuit policies in place, but those can shift over time, which is what’s recently happened with Florida Highway Patrol. Recently, troopers are able to decide for themselves, without supervisor approval, whether or not they chase a vehicle.
A sheriff in Washington is investing in high-tech pursuit gadgets.
Some people seem to think police chases are just bad for public safety. While there are cops who screw up and injure innocent bystanders while chasing fleeing suspects, many times pursuits are without incident. It all comes down to training and we think FHP has emphasized that enough.
A recent report from NBC 6 South Florida showcases that training. Dashcam footage demonstrates how a trooper spotted a speeding Kia which wouldn’t pull over. The teenagers inside led the trooper on a chase which hit 120 mph. Finally, the trooper was able to PIT the crossover.
When the teens started fleeing again, the trooper did a second PIT maneuver, disabling the Kia. Troopers later found a gun inside and that the Kia had been hacked, so it was definitely stolen. This shows the kind of things we can expect to see coming out of Florida in the future.
While FHP might not become just like Arkansas State Police or Georgia State Patrol, we do expect to get even more interesting dashcam videos in the coming months.
Even more importantly, this policy shift for FHP will hopefully help get some dangerous criminals off the streets and behind bars where they belong. With all kinds of crimes on the rise, from car theft to violent offenses, cracking down on criminal activity seems to be at the forefront in many areas.
It’s possible what FHP is doing will catch on in other law enforcement agencies. We just hope training is prioritized so the chases end with the bad guys caught and everyone else safe.
Image via NBC 6 South Florida/YouTube
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