Well, thanks a lot Olympia! (Lakewood, Puyallup: crime, felony, live)

[Disgustedman]

See ya! Washington police say drivers aren’t stopping for them; cite pursuit restrictions.

It was just before 6 p.m. on a Wednesday evening last month when a state trooper spotted a white BMW with California license plates passing on a double yellow line along Deschutes Parkway near Washington’s Capitol. Dashcam video from that evening shows the trooper trying to catch up to the speeding car.

But when the trooper closed the gap with the BMW near the edge of downtown Olympia and turned on his flashing lights, the car didn’t pull over. Instead, the driver took off.

The video, obtained through a public records request, shows the car weaving in and out of lanes, taking a hard right turn, running a stop sign and then a red light and narrowly missing cars before racing off in the direction it had come. The trooper did not give chase.


https://www.opb.org/article/2022/05/...-restrictions/

[Ruth4Truth]

More:

The Washington State Patrol (WSP) says drivers refusing to stop for troopers is an increasingly common occurrence. From January 1 to May 17 of this year, the agency logged 934 failure-to-yield incidents. While the patrol didn't track this in the past, veteran troopers say there’s been a dramatic uptick in drivers fleeing traffic stops.

“Something's changed. People are not stopping right now,” said Sgt. Darren Wright, a WSP spokesperson with 31 years on the job. “It's happening three to five times a shift on some nights and then a couple times a week on day shift.”

It’s not just the State Patrol that’s noticing the trend. So are local police departments. The Puyallup Police Department logged 148 instances of drivers fleeing from officers from July 26, 2021 to May 18, 2022.

In Lakewood, another small city in Pierce County, Chief Mike Zaro said drivers are refusing to stop for his officers on average once a day.

“A lot of times they’re stolen cars; sometimes we don’t know what the deal is,” Zaro said.

Couldn't the pursuing officer radio others, and give a description of the car and the direction it's headed, so other officers could watch out for it?

Are car thefts high in Olympia?

[Diana Holbrook]

Well I haven’t clicked the links yet but hopefully it’s either a reporter or a cop who wants to see a change in pursuit policy in the state!

[Disgustedman]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

More:

Couldn't the pursuing officer radio others, and give a description of the car and the direction it's headed, so other officers could watch out for it?

Are car thefts high in Olympia?

I wouldn't know if thefts are high, just that Olympia is where the idiots in government are, such is why the title

[Diana Holbrook]

Originally Posted by Heron31

Problem is, these don't always end like you'd want them to. I recall a case in Utah where the guy being chased T-boned another car, killing two innocent people.

Right. It's happened lots of times. I get the crux of the issue. But what's the best policy? People who don't respect the police at all? I don't think so.

[Angry-Koala]

The Washington State Legislature made a new law telling police officers to go easy on the really bad guys and guess what happened?

Crime went up. D'oh!

police officer:

"Come on, man! Will you please pull over?"

criminal:

"Nah. Don't feel like it today."

I hope they fix this mess soon.

[MechAndy]

I’m pro law enforcement more than most.
That said,
Where I live and shop I don’t think high speed chases are safe.
I’m fine with them casing down criminals and even speeders but how are they going to do it safely ?

HA!
Look at me.
My left side is showing again .

[PhoenixSomeday]

Well it's a tricky issue. On the one hand, even one bystander life lost, even one time, during a chase for some stupid, inane traffic violation is too much. On the other hand, one shouldn't be able to just willy nilly run from the police.

[Diana Holbrook]

The big picture is, people aren't running over stupid, inane speeding violations or rolling through stop signs... those may be the initial reason for the lights, but the reason for running is something more serious.

The chase isn't about speeding, it's about stolen cars, felony warrants, or a trunk full of drugs or stolen goods. That's who wins when police don't pursue.... not speeders.

[SusVelo]

Technology should be able to solve this, there’s already a gps tagging system called starchase available. Work smarter, not harder and riskier.