An alternative to police pursuits

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,The, August, 1996 by Clyde Eisenberg, Cynthia Fitzpatrick

Within the last decade, vehicle pursuits have become a leading concern to law enforcement administrators throughout the country. Liability issues, coupled with negative media attention, have spurred this concern. In addition, organizations such as Solutions to Tragedies of Police Pursuits (STOPP) now lobby for federal laws to regulate law enforcement pursuits and urge law enforcement agencies to adopt rigid pursuit policies in the name of public safety.(2)

Even without such pressure, many agencies have adopted stringent policies, often only permitting officers to pursue individuals suspected of committing forcible felonies. But this leaves law enforcement administrators to face the dilemma of either allowing non-violent felons to escape or risking property damage, personal injury, or death from pursuits. Both options leave the department open to public criticism and potential lawsuits.

Law enforcement agencies clearly need an alternative to the traditional pursuit. Yet, no single method will avoid all pursuits. Some pursuits occur when the suspect flees the scene of a crime or an already-speeding subject refuses to stop for the authorities. Other pursuits, however, result when an officer identifies a wanted felon and attempts to make an apprehension. When the officer turns on the lights and sirens to indicate that the suspect should stop, the suspect flees and the officer gives chase. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) in Tampa, Florida, developed the Vehicle Intercept Program to replace the latter type of pursuit.

What is a Vehicle Intercept?

Vehicle interception rests on the premise that most suspects in vehicles will not flee as long as officers keep their lights and sirens off, thus giving deputies the opportunity to develop a plan of containment. A vehicle intercept uses law enforcement automobiles to block in a suspect's vehicle that is slowing, stopped, or just beginning to move at an intersection, driveway, or parking lot.

Officers position their automobiles according to pre-set guidelines and procedures. A vehicle intercept is not a moving road block, and suspect cars traveling more than 10 miles per hour are not considered viable intercept candidates.

Creation of the Vehicle Intercept Program

In response to a proposal submitted by the authors, the sheriff convened a 10-member committee to examine the vehicle intercept concept and, if it was found plausible, to develop a training module for the department. Sworn personnel from the canine, aviation, training, detective, and patrol bureaus served on the committee. They met over a 1-week period and discussed procedures and guidelines for vehicle intercepts.

The committee also conducted some practical experiments to determine the optimum vehicle positioning for intercepts, taking into account concerns for officer safety, such as cross-fire and possible air bag deployment. The sheriff approved the committee's recommendations, which became part of the HCSO's written standard operating procedure and training curriculum.

Intercept Procedure

Only two categories of drivers qualify for interception - felony suspects and impaired drivers who pose a threat to public safety. Once deputies determine that a vehicle contains a suspected felon or an impaired driver, they do not take any overt action that might alert the occupants of the target vehicle of impending law enforcement action. Deputies refrain from activating emergency equipment and appear to conduct routine patrol while they notify dispatch, giving a description of the target vehicle, current location, direction of travel, and suspected charges.

Next, deputies communicate via radio with other units that can respond to assist. Setting up the intercept requires tactical thinking; officers must consider what intersections and other road conditions lie in the path of the target vehicle that would be conducive to an intercept. Ideally, aviation and canine units would participate, but deputies may execute a vehicle intercept without their assistance. When other units have reached the area and the intercept site has been chosen, the deputies - as many as four units - determine the positions they will take.

Without activating any emergency equipment, the primary blocking unit pulls in front of the target vehicle at the designated location as it slows, is stopped, or is starting to pull away. The primary unit takes a position perpendicular to the target vehicle, with the passenger side facing the suspect's vehicle and the rear axle in line with the front center of the target vehicle.

A second police unit simultaneously barricades the rear of the target vehicle. Emergency lights can be activated now. If more than two law enforcement units participate, two can block the rear or one can be deployed facing the target vehicle's driver side door from a distance of 20 to 60 feet.

The deputy operating the primary blocking vehicle stays in the car until other deputies have secured the scene. This precaution prevents potential injury to the deputy if the target vehicle attempts to break through the block. It also limits the chance of a cross-fire situation developing.