In Quotes
Officers
The National Police Ethics Committee established this oath: “The primary responsibility of the police service and of the individual officer, is the protection of the people of the United States through the upholding of their laws.”
“I support law enforcement. My experience has led me to seek changes in California’s state law governing police vehicular police pursuits because it violates the National Police Ethics’ oath.”
Candy Priano
Kristie’s Mom
“Without accountability, policy, training and supervision are meaningless,”
—D.P. Van Blaricom, Ret. Bellevue, WA, Police Chief
Some law enforcement groups have come out against the proposed measure, “Kristie’s Law.” But, other officers say even if the bill does pass, it won’t stop them from catching the bad guys. “We can put out a warrant for their arrest, we can pick them up at their home, they have families in the area and will usually be caught.”
—Cpl. Dennis Gutierrez, Riverside County Sheriffs, KESQ, Channel 3
“Officers must continually question whether the seriousness of the crime justifies continuing the pursuit. The immediate apprehension of the violator is never more important than the safety of innocent persons or the officer himself. When it becomes clear that the immediacy of apprehension is outweighed by a clear and present danger to the officer and others, the pursuit must be abandoned.”
—Geoffrey Alpert, “Police Pursuits: What We Know”
“I thought of what happened to Kristie Priano and decided this pursuit was not worth it. I stopped the pursuit.”
—A CHP officer who put public safety first while pursuing a man speeding through Chico.
This officer’s decision to “back off from the chase” resulted in no injuries and no deaths! … and the fleeing suspect did not go on to kill or injure someone else after the officer stopped the chase.
“You give some training in the academy, but if a police officer gets in a pursuit years later, how much training has he or she had?” said Capt. Travis Yates, Tulsa, OK, Police Department in a telephone interview Friday. A patrol car is a potential weapon, he said, and departments say, “Here are the keys” without the needed training.
“Is it worth the lives and safety of our officers and citizens to chase traffic offenders? What type of penalty will the offender face if caught? I’m sorry, but every law enforcement CEO should put the safety of his community above the need to lock up someone. If their jurisdiction is like Florida, the arrested offender will probably be home before the officer completes his paperwork.”
—Chief Steven H. Jones
Orange County Sheriff’s Office (Florida)
“Of course, police always say strict guidelines have been followed in each pursuit and then generally blame the driver who was trying to get away. Granted, a pursuit begins when someone tries to flee police, but that doesn’t mean a pursuit is necessary. Unless someone is an imminent threat to the public, say taking pot shots at unsuspecting citizens with a semi-automatic weapon from the back seat of a nondescript 1991 sedan, police pursuits are more macho than law enforcement. Big boys with big toys …”
—Richard Larsen
Deputy Opinion Page Editor
The Ventura County Star, 2002
For the rest of the story, click here.
TEMECULA, January 20, 2004 — A police decision to stop chasing a driver fleeing at speeds up to 90 mph may have saved lives Monday afternoon, yet did not prevent Temecula officers from making an arrest in the case, authorities said.
“I would like to think it would have been canceled regardless,” police Lt. Chris Davis said. “It would have been a poor decision to continue to chase the vehicle when we could identify the driver. Any time speeding or driving conditions appear to make the risk to the public greater than the need to apprehend the suspect, we’ll discontinue the pursuit.”
—Reporter Tim O’Leary/The Press-Enterprise
“It is a proven fact.
High-speed chases kill people.”
—Daniel Conway, 54,
After he saw dozens of patrol cars racing by his house at various speeds. A 21-year-old police officer, Daniel Starks, was killed in this pursuit when he ran a stop sign and collided with another police officer as they both raced to join the other officers … a tragic chain of events that started in a Fort Myers, Florida, nightclub parking lot. (October 25, 2003)
“The CHP regularly reviews its policies on high-speed chases. Those policies will not be changed.” …”We’re very sorry this happened. It was a tragic, regrettable incident, and if we could do anything to bring that girl back, we would. But there’s nothing wrong with our policies.”
—CHP Spokesman Tom Marshall, November 19, 2003
The girl’s name is Jessica Mohorko. Remember her name. On the night it happened, A CHP husband and wife team Jack and Christina Raughtons were following an alleged speeder. They were traveling roughly 90 mph without lights or sirens when they slammed into the passenger side of a car driven by Christopher Haynes. Jessica Mohorko, 18, was in the passenger seat and died at the scene.