Myth #1: If officers don't chase, many more will flee.

Research proves this statement is false. Officers catch most criminals by good detective work, not by a chance encounter and not by a chase. People who flee are going to flee no matter what the policy. People who will pull over appropriately today will do so tomorrow no matter what the policy. 

Research to support our stance:
Review of Orlando (Fla.) PD's Restrictive Pursuit Policy
Press release from the LAPD about their Policy Review
Illinois State Police Policy Change
Phoenix Police Department Policy Change
Department of Justice Study

Fleeing drivers who are not chased will eventually be caught. "Abandoning the pursuit does not mean the officer stops apprehension efforts; rather, the officer initiates other resources to bring about the apprehension." —Lt. John Specht, Hillsboro, Oregon, PD.

Myth #2: There's a dead body in the trunk.

Research proves this myth is false. Ask yourself: When was the last time you reported on a chase and a dead body was in the trunk?

"Research shows the first two myths are not true," says Dr. Geoff Alpert, who is the author of "Police Pursuits: What We Know," and "Policing: Continuity and Change." "Policing: Continuity and Change" has a comprehensive section on pursuits and a copy of the Orlando, Florida, pursuit policy and statistics.

Myth #3: Drivers only run from police because they've committed a violent crime or will commit a violent crime.

Research "debunks the myth" that most suspects chased by police are serious criminals, says Geoffrey Alpert, a professor of criminology at the University of South Carolina. "Most are deadbeats making stupid decisions to avoid being caught for not having a license or some offense that would be very minor compared to what happens when they initiate a pursuit." (Source: USA Today, Jan. 5, 2003)

Chases are also spawned for stolen cars, shoplifting and joy riding. Some are young teens who run because they fear their parents will be mad at them if they get a ticket. Other drivers flee because they may not have a driver’s license or have a suspended license, and others don’t have insurance or registration. The rest are low-level offenders who interact with the police on a daily basis. Therefore, officers can catch them when they are not behind the wheel of a car. (See Why they run?)

A Department of Justice Study and Dr. Geoffrey Alpert's book, "Police Pursuits: What We Know" reports that the unknown driver who flees is rarely a murderer, rapist or pedophile. 12% of the drivers who flee are violent felons and not all of them fall into one of the three categories mentioned.

Myth #4: It's just an accident.

Crimes committed with cars are becoming more common. Accidents are not premeditated. Pursuits occur when a person decides to flee and an officer decides to chase. People who flee are self-absorbed; they are not thinking about the safety of others. So, the burden to protect innocent victims, by necessity, falls on the police. "Car accident" is not accurate. The U.S. Department of Transportation uses the term "crash."

Myth #5: If officers don't chase, someone else might get killed.

Killing the innocent does not save lives. A chase does not stop a killing. In fact, it might be the cause of a death. "The most common terminating event in an urban pursuit is a crash, and that crash will most often occur at an intersection. There is no reason to believe a greater loss would occur from taking less risk." —Ret. Police Chief D.P. Van Blaricom, Bellevue, Washington.