Proper procedures for Police pursuits

Dear Editor,

Re: Police/L.T.A pursuits 

I am sure that there are car pursuit protocols in place for both the police and the L.T.A. 

If they don’t exist then they should be developed and implemented.

Basically, the protocol should be along the lines that where it becomes too dangerous for the pursuit to continue because of safety reasons, then the pursuit should be discontinued. 

Safety reasons will include the safety of other motorists at the time of the pursuit, the safety of pedestrians and other members of the public, the road conditions, the place where the pursuit is taking place, etc. 

A pursuit through the streets of Apia any time after 3pm is just not on

Once, the pursuers (police and L.T.A officers) determine that it is unsafe to continue the pursuit; then they should stop.

In a small country like Samoa everybody knows one another and it should not be too difficult for the police to catch up to the traffic offender. 

All they have to do is ask the people on the road at the time of the incident and one of them should know who the car owner is and investigations could then continue until the culprit is caught.

What we don’t want on the streets of Apia are police or L.T.A. officers who fancy themselves as formula 1 drivers and delude themselves to thinking that they can safely carry out a pursuit during the busy times. 

Such actions, akin to police turning up with guns to arrest a suspected drug dealer, have no place in our peaceful country.

 

Vai Autu 

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