Over the past few weeks many have been criticizing police chases and call for the police to not chase criminals who flee.
The job of law enforcement is to arrest criminals. These same criminals, who steal cars, are the same criminals that burglarize houses, rob innocent victims and when the situation arises will assault and kill.
The real problem is not whether or not the police continue the chase. The real problem is the fact that there are no serious consequences for fleeing from the police.
We need to make the consequences to fleeing law enforcement is so dire, that fleeing is not an option. First, we need to enact laws that enhance prison time, not jail time, and increase sentences so severely that when a criminal sees lights and sirens the criminal immediately stops. So if the typical jail sentence for stealing a truck is six months, add 10 years in prison for fleeing.
Then we must remain aware that criminals, through the course of a police chase, are extremely dangerous, and have no interest in the safety of others. Then let’s add the second deterrent.
Revert back in time when crime was not so rampant, a time when law enforcement did not have to worry about their every move being scrutinized. Allow law enforcement to protect the public by stopping the fleeing criminal with extreme prejudice.
When criminals being pursued have to choose between fleeing or stopping, and the consequences of fleeing are so ruthless, the criminals immediately pull over or drop to the ground, then and only then innocent victims will not die in vain.
Ken George
Everett
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