Eugene Elander, a retired hazard mitigation consultant from New Hampshire and Vermont now living in Georgia, recently wrote an opinion piece for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in which he lamented what he calls "unwise and unnecessary high-speed police chases in Georgia."
Elander wrote in the near wake of the tragic death of Kathy Porter, the wife of Atlanta Braves trainer Jeff Porter, who was slammed into on New Year's Day by a state police officer who had joined in the chase of a motorcyclist being pursued for a minor traffic violation.
A point that Elander centrally makes in his recent article: That trooper was not even part of the contingent originally pursuing the biker. Rather, he reportedly was speeding on Atlanta streets and even ran a red light to join the pursuit. Multiple witnesses state that the trooper was not using his siren while maneuvering to join the chase.
In Elander's view, there is never a time when a high-speed chase is justified in order to stop an offender wanted for a minor traffic transgression. There is simply too much at stake and, as the Porter outcome demonstrates, too much to lose.
Moreover, Elander argues that putting the public at such a risk violates the constitutional right of motorists to equal protection under the law.
There are other ways, says Elander, that are just as effective at stopping traffic offenders and far less dangerous to innocent third parties. He references barricades and tire-puncture strips, for example, as well as helicopter surveillance and other methods.
In Elander's view, the high-speed police chase, in less than exigent circumstances, is a "dangerous and abusive practice."
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "High-speed pursuits not justified" Eugene F. Elander, Jan. 5, 2012
