Police chase, driver flees: Commissioner Andrew Coster on increased risk of death after policy change

Police Chief Andrew Koster acknowledges that changes to police tracking policies put people at greater risk of dying, but he believes the new setup strikes the right balance.

of Herald Reports today say the policy will be less restrictive following a review after the number of getaway drivers doubled since 2020, when the policy was tightened following a series of high-profile fatal accidents. Thing.

When Mr. Koster launched the review last year, he suggested that the policy setting at the time was not appropriate because offenders’ driving habits were becoming more brazen.

Police officers are now more likely to pursue fleeing drivers, given the risk that the driver or occupants of the vehicle will commit further crimes.

But more people were in danger of dying in police pursuits. Between 2010 and 2020, 75 died during follow-up.

Mr Coster says: Heraldaccepted that the more frequent the chase, the greater the chance that someone would die.

“I think we need to recognize that the more tracking there is, the greater the potential for negative outcomes.”

But he was convinced that the right balance was struck between preventing those negative consequences and limiting future crimes.

“We have set up a permit to initiate an investigation based on serious crimes that may result in more serious crimes.

“It’s a pretty high threshold, but I’m confident the front line will get these decisions right.

“There’s also a big problem here: if you double the number of fleeing drivers, you’re going to be significantly less safe, at least in the broader sense of crime prevention.”

An example of a situation in which a chase might be initiated is when a car is loaded with a criminal who has committed an aggravated robbery.

“Based on the revised policy, there is the possibility of a chase if officers determine that the vehicle is at risk of continued serious violations,” Koster said.

Under the old policy, police could not pursue a vehicle unless there was an immediate public safety hazard, such as driving unsafely endangering people.

Before encountering a vehicle that may have to be pursued, Koster said officers consider whether road spikes can be used and how they can coordinate with other nearby officers. He said that planning ahead is encouraged.

“This is something we weren’t pursuing, but they’ve been doing very well over the last few years and were looking for other ways to get hold of the vehicle.”

The change comes amid a political debate over New Zealand’s crime levels. A major centerpiece is the rise in violent youth crime, often manifested as an exacerbation of assaults and robberies.

Public awareness was not the motivation for the policy change, but Koster hoped it would send a message to criminals.

“I think there is a clear public demand to hold criminals accountable.

“So part of what we’re doing here is sending the message to criminals that they can expect to be caught and that they may need to reconsider their crimes. That’s it.” [decisions]”