This brief assesses policies and approaches used by police agencies to manage vehicle pursuits, so as to inform the criminal justice community of the general policies that guide police pursuits and to provide illustrative examples of the current and future outlook on vehicle stoppage and tracking tools.
Although there have been limited changes in vehicle pursuit technology over the past 15 years, advancements in remote deployment systems, vehicle telematics, and telecommunication technologies have enabled incremental value-added innovation in existing tools. Agencies can leverage multiple approaches, including tools and techniques, that help immobilize or track a fleeing vehicle during a pursuit. Tools that intend to stop a vehicle using force come with bigger safety risks to the officer, fleeing occupants, and bystanders than tools that use tracking technologies. No vehicle-stoppage approach guarantees an efficient, safe resolution to a pursuit, and agencies should consider the implications of implementing these tools. As manufacturers integrate more technology into vehicles, disabling or tracking solutions may enable safer, faster resolutions to vehicle apprehension.