Police Pursuit Review Rubbish 
 
The review in finding that NZ Police chase policy reflect International best practice has stumped road safety advocacy group the Candor Trust. It's not credible at all, clearly the advice wasn't sufficiently independent.
 
"This result might have been expected though given the review was all very cloak and dagger, lacking the Public input and consultancy we had sought", said Spokesperson Rachael Ford.  
 
Police and the innocent Public will die in future because an honest assessment was not completed. The review can't have sized the local norms against best practice jurisdictions (which have virtually no chase casualties), or deficiencies would have been noted. 
 
"We believe the reluctance to face the facts is symptomatic of complacency, stemming from the idea that all must be in order. Because a review was completed only a couple of years ago, which drew on research current to 2003".
 
It appears the latest review, hot on the heels of several major bungles, yesterday reported by TV1 news may have been a 5 minute job. Any reasonable exploration of the issue would have identified that the best practice jurisdictions have leapt ahead in recent times.
 
They no longer need a section in their paperwork in which "innocent victim injured" gets ticked as on the NZ Police forms. As NZ still does have sections for the recording of chase victims, the Human Rights Commission ought monitor for institutional racism.
 
Candor Trust recommends that the ethnic data of people injured in Police chases (whether civilians or not) ought be recorded in the Police chase paperwork, since a trend seems to be emerging of ethnic youth dying in chase crashes.
 
Chase policy is not compatible with best practice, and the Public should not be duped on that score. The greatest proportion of pursuits arise here from offenders coming to police attention for speeding at (21%). Second to ticket delivery the next commonest trigger on latest available statistics is stolen vehicle's being spotted (16%).
 
Chases would often not be embarked on for the first matter (evidence says this will only up the danger), and would never ever be continued at high speeds for the second type of offence in the best practice jurisdictions.
 
Capturing a car thief is considered too trivial an excuse for jeopardising Police, offenders and the Public's lives. Especially given the research shows that those who would run are normally impaired by adrenalin, alcohol or drugs.
 
The recommendation of the prior review to ensure "runners" get a dose of jail has not been made a reality. And we are the only country that regularly allows Police to chase car loads of 15 year olds, when they (typicaly) flee over minor condition breaches and the like. That is insane.
 
The outcome of the review is disappointing. This important public safety issue can't be put to bed just yet.

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