NCJ Number
163472
Journal
Evaluation Review Volume: 19 Issue: 5 Dated: (October 1995) Pages: 513-523
Date Published
1995
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study examined the extent to which restrictive policies and intensified monitoring of hot pursuits caused police officers to ignore requirements that the initiation of such chases be communicated to their superiors and that complete reports be filed concerning hot pursuit outcomes.
Abstract
The study was conducted using data provided by the Aurora, Colorado, Police Department. Data on reported pursuits and accidents were aggregated to weekly units of analysis, and the sample consisted of 111 weeks. The ratio of accidents to pursuits was computed for each week; this ratio was set to zero for weeks during which no pursuits occurred. Independent variables consisted of dummy variables that operationalized three different policies: (1) review process that simply reported when a pursuit occurred; (2) pursuit reporting as a permanent requirement of the police department; and (3) narrow conditions under which a pursuit was appropriate. Findings showed that accidents were positively related to pursuits, and the relationship between accidents and pursuits was constant over time. Policy changes had no significant effect on the proportion of accidents to the number of pursuits. Police officers generally complied with policies and were not evading policies through nonreporting. The authors conclude that more restrictive policies do not increase noncompliance with pursuit reporting requirements. 6 references, 1 note, 2 tables, and 1 figure