NYPD officers will no longer pursue drivers speeding onto roadways unless they are wanted for the most serious and violent crimes — under a new policy announced Wednesday.
The revised policy, which goes into effect Feb. 1, prohibits officers from pursuing suspects for traffic violations, traffic violations and nonviolent misdemeanors, according to Police Chief Jessica Tisch.
The announcement comes after a spate of dangerous, and often fatal, high-speed crashes.
“The NYPD's enforcement efforts should never put the public or our police officers at unreasonable risk, and the pursuit of violations and minor crimes is potentially dangerous and unnecessary,” Tisch said in a statement. said.
“Modern law enforcement’s advanced tools allow us to apprehend criminals more safely and effectively than ever before, making many chases unnecessary.”
Rule changes — first reported by Streetsblog — This comes in the wake of an alarming increase in NYPD car chases, many of which result in catastrophic crashes that injure or kill innocent New Yorkers.
Police pursuits increased nearly 600% in the first three months of 2023, leading to a record number of crashes last year, at more than one per day, the city reported. reported.
The pursuit left a trail of tragic massacres, including a hit-and-run in Queens in October when a robbery suspect tried to outrun an NYPD officer. The speeding suspect struck and killed 36-year-old Amanda Servedio, who was riding her bicycle on a quiet Astoria block.
In December, another bicyclist was injured by a fugitive drug trafficker who stole his car and led police on a wild chase through the narrow streets of Greenwich Village. With the officer close behind, the suspect drove the wrong way and struck the 44-year-old's bicycle.
Sicco, who was also charged with kidnapping a 9-year-old girl from a Queens supermarket in August, was killed in a collision while fleeing from police. Dramatic footage shows alleged pervert Wayne Noel, 64, speeding down a Queens Village street and crashing into another car.
About 25% of about 2,300 vehicle pursuits last year resulted in a crash, property damage or bodily harm, according to New York City Police Department data.
According to the data, 67% of those deaths are due to suspects fleeing from police stops.
Officials say much of this tracking will be prohibited under the new policy.
The policy requires police to consider whether potential pursuits are in residential areas or near schools or playgrounds.
Also, if an officer stops a pursuit because he or she does not believe it is safe to do so, he or she will not be criticized or punished.
Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association, said his union is grateful that New York City police leaders listened to concerns about police chases.
“However, it is up to the department to ensure that this policy is enforced so that neither officers nor the public are unnecessarily put at risk,” he said in a statement.
Additional reporting by Larry Celona
