(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today released a report outlining recommendations made by the Attorney General's Advisory Group on Law Enforcement Vehicular Pursuits.
Attorney General DeWine appointed the 13-member group in May to examine different law enforcement pursuit policies in use in Ohio and to identify best practices that can be used by law enforcement agencies across the state.
The recommendations include policies on initiating, continuing, and discontinuing vehicle pursuits in a way that best ensure the safety of law enforcement and the general public.
"Law enforcement pursuits can be incredibly dangerous, not only to officers and those who flee, but also to other drivers and pedestrians who are innocent bystanders," said Attorney General DeWine. "This group thoughtfully examined the issues officers face when confronted with a fleeing suspect and outlined the key points that they recommend all local law enforcement pursuit policies address. I hope this report will be useful to Ohio law enforcement in their work to protect citizens of this state."
The full report can be found on the Ohio Attorney General's website.
The group recommended that, at a minimum, all law enforcement agencies in Ohio examine their current policy to determine if it addresses the best practices listed in the report. Ohio law requires that law enforcement agencies have a pursuit policy, but the law does not dictate the content of the policy.
The group also recommended that some portion of future continued professional training for all peace officers and troopers in the state be devoted to vehicle pursuit best practices and safe driving techniques.
In addition, group members recommended that a state database be created to collect voluntary submissions of vehicle pursuit information which could be analyzed to further develop best practices related to law enforcement pursuits.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, at least 352 people, including one Ohio peace officer and 147 bystanders, were killed in law enforcement pursuits in Ohio between 1982 and 2014.
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