3 ms·

Because it's more fun for them if they chase. Really, very rarely should it make sense for cops to endanger countless civilian lives to catch a criminal.

• kiba 13y ago
  More fun? Imagine you're a cop chasing the car running though several red lights. That would be terrifying.
  • danso 13y ago
    If you're a patrolman then a car chase is probably one of the more exciting things you'll do, and it's a scenario that comes to mind when you first think of "this is what police do". In reality, you probably spend a lot of time checking mundane things, pulling people over (perhaps to meet a quota), and lots of paperwork and bureaucracy. Even if it is scary, I think it's possible that some officers won't back down from a chase. And this involved a chase of someone believed to be a public menace. (Sorry, not justifying the actual chase. Just pointing out that it's not strange that it occurred, given the status quo there)
  • quesera 13y ago
    Most cities do not allow cops to conduct high speed chases in populated areas. But it happens and innocent people die, because the cops are on a righteous mission and shall not be deterred. I watched a 25 year old woman die on the pavement at 16th and Dolores in San Francisco, hit by a car running a red light, being chased by cops. Apparently the car had been reported stolen. Not a worthy mission, in my opinion. Note: of course it's the chasee's fault. But cops know exactly what happens in these situations, and cannot be excused.
  • theorique 13y ago
    Some people like the fear...
• tptacek 13y ago
  It very rarely does make sense for police to endanger bystanders with high-speed chases, which is why most departments heavily restrict them. Friends of mine whose parents are officers have always told me their parents were more or less forbidden from ever initiating pursuit. You can search for "[name of city] police general order pursuit", or some variant thereof, to get the policy for your local district.
• jacobwcarlson 13y ago
  Are you just guessing this is the reason, or do you have a link to an article you didn't include in your response?
• knowaveragejoe 13y ago
  Depending on the offense, there are reasons to do it. If there are not officers immediately behind the perps wherever they stop, they can quite easily disperse into the city or go into a building and take innocents hostage. I don't think the other hypotheses offered in this thread(15 minutes of fame, it's LA's reality show, etc) have quite so much to do with it, especially when you consider how vast LA is.
  • CoryG89 13y ago
    I think that having them disperse is the whole point of not chasing them. As far as taking hostages, I just don't think what you suggest makes any sense. The ONLY way I would consider taking hostages for any reason and making a stand against the police force would be if I had no other choice.. ie. the police won't stop chasing me.