NYPD officers will no longer chase drivers who speed away into traffic unless they’re wanted for the most serious and violent crimes — under a new policy announced Wednesday.
The revamped vehicle pursuit policy, which takes effect Feb. 1, bars police from pursuing suspects for traffic infractions, violations or non-violent misdemeanors, police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
The announcement comes after a spate of dangerous — and often deadly — high-speed crashes, the New York Post reports.
“The NYPD’s enforcement efforts must never put the public or the police at undue risk, and pursuits for violations and low-level crimes can be both potentially dangerous and unnecessary,” Tisch said in a statement.
“The advanced tools of modern-day policing make it possible to apprehend criminals more safely and effectively than ever before, making many pursuits unnecessary.”
