High-speed chase ‘up to officer’

Press, 22 January 1982, Page 4

High-speed chase ‘up to officer’

Traffic officers should not continue on a high-speed chase if they think it is dangerous, either to themselves or to other people, according to the chief traffic superintendent. Christchurch. Mr A. Goldsmith. He said that a national policy directive to traffic officers governed high-speed chases. "When a chase reaches the point where an officer considers it is dangerous to other people or to himself the pursuit should be discontinued." Mr Goldsmith said.

"But it is up to the officer. If he considers that the person he is chasing must be stopped because of the danger he is causing on the roads, it is the responsibility

of the officer to stop the offender."

Mr Goldsmith gave the example of a motorist going along a one-way street the wrong way. He said that if a traffic officer discontinued a chase and allowed the offender to carry on in the face of oncoming traffic the officer could be considered to be failing in his duty to apprehend the offender and remove the danger but if the officer continued the chase it could endanger other motorists.

"The decision must lie with the officer." ‘

Inquiries were now held by the Ministry of Transport into all complaints that it received.