SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Police Department is set to review recommended changes to its pursuit policy following several recent deaths, including that of an SDPD officer.
The Commission on Police Practices delivered its recommendations to Police Chief Scott Wahl this week, calling for significant restrictions on when officers can engage in high-speed pursuits. These proposed changes come in the wake of two fatal incidents in recent months.
On August 26, a San Diego police officer and a 16-year-old unlicensed driver died in a crash resulting from a high-speed pursuit. Earlier, on December 8, two young brothers lost their lives in Mountain View when they were hit by a driver being pursued for a traffic infraction.
Doug Case, second vice chair of the Commission on Police Practices, said Chief Wahl "assured us that the department will seriously look at and evaluate all of our recommendations."
The new recommendations would restrict pursuits for infractions, property offenses, misdemeanors, traffic violations, and non-violent warrants. However, exceptions would be made if the driver poses an immediate threat to public safety, such as in cases of erratic drunk driving.
"Given the fact that police pursuits are inherently dangerous, they should only occur when there's an imminent threat to public safety," Case explained.
The recommendations also include the formation of a Vehicle Pursuit Review Board, which would issue reports on SDPD pursuits. Case stated, "The purpose of it is to learn from the pursuits so that we have a safer environment in the future."
Chief Wahl now has 60 days to respond to these recommendations. However, it's important to note that these are just recommendations and there is no requirement for them to be adopted.
SDPD's response to these proposed changes will be closely watched by the community, as the department seeks to balance public safety concerns with the risks associated with high-speed pursuits.
The police department did not respond to a request for comment.