Become a Cop >> Browse Articles >> Exam & Career Preparation
The Police Entrance Exam - Vehicle Pursuits
Featured Author:
Sergeant George Godoy
Sergeant George Godoy (ret) is a 22 year police veteran from the Denver, Colorado area. During the last 5 years of his law enforcement career he was a police recruiter and investigator responsible for the hiring of police officers. His responsibilities included screening police applicants, administering written tests, participating in oral board interviews, and completing police background investigations.
George is the founder of the Police Exam 911 learning system for police candidates. Utilizing streaming video and digital technology, police hopefuls are taken step-by-step through the application process, written test, oral board, psych, and polygraph exam. Police Exam 911 has been instrumental in helping hundreds of police applicants realize their dream of becoming a police officer.
For more information:
- Visit PoliceExam911.com
More articles from this author:
Sergeant George Godoy
When an officer initiates a vehicle pursuit, dispatch should be immediately notified of:
- Unit Identification
- Location, Direction of Travel, Indication of Speed
- Reason for the Pursuit
- Suspect Vehicle Description and Plate Number – if known
- Number of Occupants and Description – if known
It is important for the officer in pursuit to ensure the dispatcher and backup officers hear and understand radio transmissions. Roll up windows and give regular location updates.
When a pursuit involves excessive emergency speed and emergency driving tactics, the pursuing officer must consider:
- The severity and nature of the violation
- The likelihood of apprehending the suspect
- The public safety hazards created by a high-speed pursuit
- The traffic encountered during the pursuit – volume, speed, direction
- The pursuit environment: residential, commercial, school zone, open highway
- The population density
- The familiarity with the roads being traveled
- The weather and road conditions
- The driving skill of the officer and condition of the police vehicle being driven
Every police officer must be able to determine when a vehicle pursuit should not be initiated and when to break off a pursuit.
Some common sense guidelines include:
Pursuit would create a clear and unreasonable danger to the officer, the pursued vehicle or other users of the highway. The degree of danger and risk to public safety should outweigh the need for immediate apprehension. The suspect has been identified and apprehension can be accomplished later without the danger of pursuit.
A final common sense point in vehicle pursuits is:
Discharging a firearm at, or from, a moving vehicle is dangerous and ineffective in most cases. The use of deadly force in a vehicle pursuit will always be dictated by jurisdictional policy.
denestu
about 1 month ago
24 Comments
In pursuit of criminals, law enforcement officers sometimes must give chase, and that includes on foot and in vehicles. Police pursuits on foot might result in someone near the officer and suspect taking an accidental fall when one or both of them go down in a scuffle. Pursuits in a police vehicle, however, pose the greatest risk to all involved, including the general public, and can end in deaths and the destruction of property or an automobile donation.
StarkFace
over 1 year ago
30 Comments
Very good stuff to think about. Kinda disappointed to hear about Denver PD's restrictions, though.
ojidbs55
over 1 year ago
14 Comments
The major of police exams don't have vehicle pursuit questions. I'd wager that 90% don't. However there are a lot of situational questions and memory recognition questions. I don't think this article does a good job in terms of preparing would be cops for the oral exam. I'd suggest looking over sample exam questions at http://passthepoliceexam.com
jerseyaaa
about 2 years ago
28 Comments
http://www.mvpjerseyshop.com
stehen
over 2 years ago
2 Comments
How can anybody take a decision like that, a wise decision, when they actually have like 2 seconds. The majority of police officers think about that the person driving that car is a dangerous one and he can hurt others. Can a police officer be charged if something goes wrong during the pursuit?
used cars Trenton
Anonymous
over 3 years ago
good info
spastic
almost 4 years ago
10 Comments
I think that everyone that is considering a career in law enforcement should definately take this exam,but before taking the exam they should look at the overview then take the quiz.It most definately helpful to take criminal justice courses as well to better understand the true aspects of what to exspect in the law enforcement field.
spastic
almost 4 years ago
10 Comments
I Think that this is good information to know considering I am a Criminal Justice major at Indian River State College and working for the Indian River County Sheriffs department as a volunteer deputy in their general services department.
Anonymous
almost 4 years ago
My department's pursuit policy is somewhat lenient. We are authorized to pursue any offender if they are, in fact, fleeing from justice for any violation of the law. As soon as a pursuit becomes too dangerous or unneeded we are to use our common sense and good judgement to either continue/discontinue.
JoelAHermanson
almost 5 years ago
28 Comments
good info
Anonymous
about 4 years ago
Excuse me add to this to former post. It helps a lot to know the LAW!
Anonymous
about 4 years ago
This is so good. Basic and common sense applys. It takes experience to form a basic instint that requires action. Definitely a start. Thanks
shielding_wings
over 4 years ago
2 Comments
Im a student of Criminal justice at Itt-technical... funny thing is this is more helpful than the text on the related issues O.O
Anonymous
over 4 years ago
This helped clarify a lot of questions I had!
rickykirkham
over 4 years ago
244 Comments
Great information. I just learned alot.