Police Vehicular Pursuits: An Overview of Research and Legal Conceptualizations for Police Administrators

Research into the realm of police pursuits is fraught with many complex, often con-flicting methodologies and ending results. Some projects have indicated police pur-suits to be highly dangerous and in need of better supervisory and administrative con-trol. Others maintain that pursuits are not as dangerous as previously believed and are, therefore, an integral and necessary component of police duties. Struggling to come to terms with the many intricate scholarly research endeavors in this area, along with the variety of legal decisions so often occurring as a result of a pursuit gone awry, is the police administrator. Ultimately, it remains the responsibility of the policy writ-ers and administrators to devise effective, efficient policy with regard to police vehicu-lar pursuits. Only through improving written policy will negative outcomes of police pursuits such as accidents, injuries, fatalities, and litigation wane