In reference to the letter from Rebecca Ruhoff (“Police pursuits: Even small injuries have big impacts,” Jan. 18), she, like many, speak without having the slightest clue about what police go through as they encounter a serious situation. I have not talked to Trooper Gann in reference to his comments, but I am sure that “rethinking the risk of pursuits” does not mean, “not pursuing.”
As a police officer myself, I know that we evaluate and review the need to pursue or not pursue every day. We have strict guidelines and policies in place to eliminate pursuits that pose an unnecessary risk to the public or the officer. These policies are there to minimize inherently dangerous events where the risk outweighs the need to catch the bad guy or when we have other information that may assist us in the possible later capture of the suspect.
Officers are required to make split-second decisions every day. You have hours to prepare your “Monday morning quarterback” on the actions of police from the comfort of your home with information we did not have at the time of the incident. Remember, you enjoy the “comfort of your home” because of what police officers do every day. If officers didn’t chase bad guys you would be writing a letter complaining about that, too. If bad guys run it is necessary for police to chase. If police didn’t chase, bad guys would always run.
It takes a special kind of person to run toward danger when all others run away – remember 9/11. Until you have walked in our shoes, I suggest in the future you base your comments on reality and not on what you see on TV.
Lynnwood
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