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From: car377@drutx.UUCP (RogersCA)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Which bikes get the tickets (Rambo police pursuit)
Message-ID: <1772@drutx.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 27-Oct-86 12:01:43 EST
Article-I.D.: drutx.1772
Posted: Mon Oct 27 12:01:43 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 28-Oct-86 02:15:59 EST
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver
Lines: 41

> 
> It seems that police attitudes differ in different places.
> 
> ... but I believe the conclusion was something like: The police reputation 
> is more important than the quality of life of innocent victims. ( My 
> interpretation, of course. ) It is not unusual to read in The Denver Post 
> of a police chase (of car or motorcycle, I do not think there is much 
> discrimination ) ending by involving innocent victims.
> ....
> I can not tell much difference between reckless driving by citizens and 
> pursuit driving by police.
> 
> Dave Post 

Ah, what a novel concept!  We can make it a new public referendum on the
upcoming ballot, say proposition 5:

   "Law enforcement officers are absolutely prohibited from attempting
   to apprehend any crime suspect eluding arrest if that suspect is utilizing
   a motor vehicle in order to avoid capture."  

We can solve many problems with this one, e.g., prison overcrowding, higher
taxes used for purchase of special police cars, etc.  We would even need
less police officers, since all criminals would be sure to have transportation
handy, and officers would not be needed to chase them.  

I think you are confused.  The police are required to enforce the law and
apprehend lawbreakers, and must balance the safety of immediate innocent 
bystanders against the safety of other innocent bystanders who are endangered
if the pursuee escapes.  Furthermore, police who are pursuing suspects may not 
know the extent to which the pursuee is otherwise dangerous to the public, and 
must assume the worst in such cases.  How convenient that you can discard the 
complexity of such decisions and claim that these officers act purely from 
ego-gratification!

Everyone has an opinion, and others in the Denver area probably feel as you do,
but the skewed logic which blames the pursuit officer and NOT the criminal
for endangering the safety of innocent bystanders is just a little too weird
for me to fathom.

Chuck Rogers @ ATT-ISL, Denver