Portland Loosens Restrictions on Vehicle Pursuits

Portland Police Chief Bob Day announced Friday that the Portland Police Bureau is loosening restrictions on vehicle pursuits in an effort to discourage suspects from fleeing.

“We have seen a significant propensity for criminal suspects to elude traffic stops, often driving extremely dangerously despite no officers chasing them,” the Bureau said in a statement.

A recent example occurred during a recent Stolen Vehicle Operation in East Precinct: https://youtu.be/zoF-BkzRyV8?feature=shared&t=50  .

In cases like this, policy restrictions have impeded officers’ efforts to quickly intervene and end the suspect’s dangerous driving behavior. Some vehicle eludes have ended with serious injury crashes and even fatalities, including a deadly crash in June involving robbery suspect eluding a Gresham Police stop. The driver continued recklessly driving despite no police chasing him and caused a crash that killed a Portland woman .

“Anecdotally, suspects have repeatedly told officers that they are aware of PPB policy and they are more likely to try to elude thinking their chances of escape are higher in Portland than other jurisdictions,” the Bureau said.

The new policy will allow officers to pin suspects with their cars at higher speeds, and broadens their authority to initiate pursuits, particularly in cases involving nonviolent but hot-button crimes like shoplifting and street racing, Willamette Week reports.

The changes come six years after the bureau tightened its policies.

The changes come six years after the bureau tightened its policies.