A recent study commissioned by the Board of Police Commissioners and conducted by the Los Angeles Police Department sheds light on a troubling pattern in police chases that occur in the Los Angeles area. The study revealed that innocent bystanders make up nearly half of the car chase injuries involving the LAPD.
Over the course of five years, from 2018 to April 2023, the LAPD recorded over 4,200 police chases. Of these chases, almost 1,600 resulted in crashes. Shockingly, of the crashes that resulted in an injury or death, 49% of them involved innocent bystanders.
To be precise, nearly 500 of the crashes involved bystanders who had nothing to do with the police chase. The study also found that the average speed during LAPD car chases was around 46 mph. The highest percentage of crashes, at 64%, occurred when chases reached speeds between 41 and 80 mph.
These findings highlight the devastating impact of police chases on innocent bystanders. The study serves as a wake-up call for the LAPD and other law enforcement agencies to re-evaluate their pursuit policies to prioritize public safety.
