The San Diego Commission on Police Practices voted Wednesday to send its final recommendations for vehicle pursuits to the San Diego Police Department.
The recommendations have loosened some since the first draft, which suggested limiting vehicle pursuits to violent felonies.
The commission says police shouldn’t start pursuits for infractions, unarmed property offenses, and misdemeanors and traffic violations that don’t pose an immediate and serious danger to the public, but don’t limit pursuit of other misdemeanors and felonies.
“We are trying to balance the safety of the public with the police department's ability to pursue hardcore violent criminals,” said Commission Chair Gloria Tran.
She said this could still make a big impact, because infractions are why San Diego police start the majority of high-speed chases — including the one that killed a 4-year-old and an 8-year-old in December.
“The horrific accident that took the lives of little Mason and Malikai was initiated due to a non-working headlight — according to published reports, because we've never been able to get a straight story on what started it — and that was just awful,” she said.
The loosened recommendations come after a social media campaign by the San Diego Police Officers Association against the first draft.
Tran said the commission hasn’t yet spoken directly with the union.
“We reached out to them again to see if they wanted to do a sit-down. Unfortunately, it was right before the other tragic accident that killed Officer Machitar,” she said.
Three more people — including 30-year-old Police Officer Austin Machitar — have died in vehicle chases by San Diego police since the commission began reviewing the policy in December.
Black and Latino people in San Diego are disproportionately chased in vehicle pursuits — and for the most minor offenses.
The most vehicle pursuits over infractions were started in the divisions that include formerly redlined neighborhoods and downtown.
The recommendations also suggest the San Diego Police Department:
- Revise the purpose of pursuit to prioritize the protection of life
- Define pursuit consistently
- Verbally and physically acknowledge the end of pursuit — such as by pulling over from the road — to avoid confusion
- Establish a vehicle pursuit review board
- Expand the tracking of pursuit data to include injuries, death and damage that occur after a pursuit is officially terminated
- Familiarize the commission staff with SDPD training curriculum
- Explore technologies like GPS tracking, drones and virtual reality training to improve pursuit safety
- Pursue accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, which requires a yearly vehicle pursuit analysis
“We would like to thank the CPP for their diligence on this matter and look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with them on this and other matters in the future,” a police spokesperson said by email.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl has 60 days to respond to the recommendations.
