Police chases can endanger public, police said

SANDUSKY — Vehicle pursuits between police and suspects can be dangerous for everyone involved.That's why local police departments have specific policies that tell officers when it's appropriate to chase a suspect and when they should let the suspect go.Vehicle pursuitsLeaders from Sandusky police, Perkins police and the Erie County Sheriff's Office all said they have set policies regarding vehicle pursuits.Several different variables determine if a chase will occur, and how long it will last, Sheriff Paul Sigsworth said.For example, the severity of the crime that sparks the pursuit will determine what lengths law enforcement will go to before the chase is called off."If (you're chasing) someone who just committed aggravated murder versus someone who shoplifted a pair of shoes, that's a big difference," Sigsworth said.Whether or not the chase is going through a highly populated area is also a big factor."If you're pursuing a vehicle along a rural two-lane highway with no traffic, compared to U.S. 250, that's going to make a difference, too," Sigsworth said.That's something highly populated areas, like Sandusky, especially have to consider."We try not to stay in a pursuit very long because we're in a condensed area with a lot of people," Sandusky police Chief John Orzech said. "We don't want innocent people to get hurt."It's a similar situation in Perkins Township, with its car and foot traffic along Milan Road, Perkins police Chief Robb Parthemore said."Once the weather breaks, there's a ton of pedestrian traffic around the (U.S. 250) corridor," Parthemore said. "We take that very seriously. Vehicle pursuits are not taken lightly."Anatomy of a vehicle chaseWhile exact policy differs from agency to agency, local law enforcement handle vehicle pursuits in similar ways.A summary of that process is as follows:• An officer will initiate a pursuit and relay information to a dispatcher.• A second officer will join the chase as backup and will take over radio duties to let the first officer focus on the chase.• Other officers might drive along the perimeter of the pursuit's route and might set up flares, stop sticks or roadblocks depending on the situation• The supervising officer will continuously evaluate if the chase is safe enough to continue, or it must be called off.The sheriff office's policy lists a number of reasons a chase would be called off, including if:— The suspect has been identified and can be apprehended later.— Traffic, road and environmental conditions become too dangerous.— The chase is causing a clear, present and unreasonable danger to officers, to the suspect and the general public.— The suspect vehicle's location is no longer knownParthemore said chases can be called off if a suspect is driving too fast."(Suspects) will speed, sometimes climb to triple digits," he said. "We don't want someone driving that fast in a subdivision."Stopping vehiclesIn chases with suspects of high-level felonies, police do have several options at their disposal.The sheriff's office policy says more high-risk maneuvers, like PIT maneuvers, moving roadblocks and ramming suspects' vehicles, are allowed but are "last-resort" options.Sandusky and Perkins police typically do not allow these types of higher-risk tactics."We don't use rolling blocks or PIT maneuvers that some agencies would use if on (a road like) Ohio 2," Orzech said. "If we'd do that in town, (suspects) would hit a lot of cars."Parthemore said his department doesn't permit these maneuvers, citing the danger they bring.Reach reporter Brandon Addeo at brandonaddeo@sanduskyregister.com, follow him on Twitter @BrandonAddeo and follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterErie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth lays out a sleeve with three Stop Sticks on Friday, Jan. 25, 2019, to show how the department would attempt to stop a vehicle during a chase.A Stop Stick is used during a police chase to flatten a tire. A small spike within a Stop Stick punctures a hole in a vehicle tire and gradually releases air, so police can catch a suspect during a chase.Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth shows he can be a safe distance away from the Stop Sticks when attempting to stop a vehicle during a chase.Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth grabs a set of Stop Sticks out of his trunk on Friday, Jan. 25, 2019, at the Erie County Sheriff's Office in Perkins Township.Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth holds the part of a Stop Stick that releases air from a vehicle tire.Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth shows where the Stop Sticks are mounted in the trunk of his car.