Editor’s Note: This is the second of two parts on North Olympic Peninsula law enforcement pursuits and policies.
High-speed pursuits are a liability for law enforcement agencies nationwide and consequences exist for both a pursuing police officer and the person being chased.
It’s no different here on the North Olympic Peninsula and law enforcement agencies in Clallam and Jefferson counties do not take high-speed pursuits lightly.
The Clallam County Sheriff Department’s vehicle pursuit policy says personal and public safety are “paramount responsibilities” and other considerations — including catching suspects — are secondary to public safety.
“This decision to pursue or not to pursue requires an officer to consider a number of factors and to exercise extremely good judgment,” the policy says. “The officer must avoid any tendency to overreact to the urgency or excitement of the situation, a tendency which tends to inhibit good judgment.”
Policy tightened
Port Townsend police have tightened pursuit guidelines in the name of safety.
“The only time our officers are authorized to pursue is when they have reasonable cause to believe the person has committed a violent crime against a person,” Police Chief Kristen Anderson-Post said.
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