NYPD cops gained’t chase drivers who velocity away into site visitors until they’re wished for essentially the most critical and violent crimes — below a brand new coverage introduced Wednesday.
The revamped coverage, which takes impact Feb. 1, bars cops from pursuing suspects for site visitors infractions, violations or non-violent misdemeanors, police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
The announcement comes after a spate of harmful — and sometimes lethal — high-speed crashes.
“The NYPD’s enforcement efforts must not ever put the general public or the police at undue threat, and pursuits for violations and low-level crimes will be each doubtlessly harmful and pointless,” Tisch mentioned in an announcement.
“The superior instruments of modern-day policing make it attainable to apprehend criminals extra safely and successfully than ever earlier than, making many pursuits pointless.”
The rule change — first reported by Streetsblog — got here after a staggering rise in NYPD automobile chases, a lot of which led to devastating crashes that left harmless New Yorkers injured or lifeless.
Police pursuits jumped almost 600% throughout the first three months of 2023, and led to a record-breaking multiple crash per day final yr, The Metropolis reported.
The chases left a tragic path of carnage, equivalent to an October hit-and-run crash by a housebreaking suspect attempting to shake NYPD cops on his tail in Queens. The dashing suspect struck and killed avid bicyclist Amanda Servedio, 36, as she pedaled down a quiet Astoria block.
One other bicycle owner in December was injured by a fleeing suspected drug vendor, who stole a automobile and led police on a wild chase by the slim streets of Greenwich Village. The suspect drove the flawed approach, with cops shut behind, earlier than barreling into the 44-year-old bicycle owner.
And a sicko accused of abducting a 9-year-old lady from a Queens grocery store in August died after he crashed whereas fleeing cops. Dramatic footage confirmed the alleged perv — Wayne Noel, 64 —velocity down a Queens Village avenue earlier than he T-boned one other automobile.
NYPD information present roughly 25% of almost 2,300 car pursuits final yr resulted in a crash, property harm or bodily hurt.
Of these, 67% stemmed from a suspect fleeing a automobile cease by cops, information present.
A lot of these chases can be banned below the brand new coverage, officers mentioned.
The coverage requires cops to weigh whether or not a possible pursuit is in a residential neighborhood or close to a faculty or playground.
Officers additionally gained’t face criticism or self-discipline in the event that they cease the pursuit as a result of they don’t consider it may be completed safely.
Patrick Hendry, the president of the Police Benevolent Affiliation, mentioned the union is grateful for NYPD brass listening to their issues about police chases.
“Nevertheless, it will likely be as much as the Division to make sure that this coverage is utilized in order that neither cops nor the general public are unnecessarily put in danger,” he mentioned in an announcement.
Further reporting by Larry Celona