NCJ Number
209314
Journal
Criminal Justice Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2005 Pages: 37-53
Date Published
February 2005
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study examined the characteristics of 64 police pursuits in England and Wales resulting in serious injuries or fatalities and assessed the outcomes of subsequent police investigations of those accidents.
Abstract
The main goal of the research was to first analyze the disciplinary outcomes for individual officers involved in the pursuits under question and, second, to assess the recommendations of the Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) following the investigations. Data were drawn from Police Complaints Authority (PCA) investigation files, which include the final report of the SIO, on the 64 incidents under question. Under examination was the post-incident period and any disciplinary actions taken or policy changes that were made following the investigations. The results indicated that of the 63 cases in which the SIO data were available, 48 cases contained no recommendations on either discipline or policy changes. In nine of the cases, recommendations were made concerning policy changes, and in three of the cases informal disciplinary procedures were taken against the officers. No actual police policy changes were observed following the recommendations for policy changes in the SIO investigative report. Following the analysis of the police files, the authors present three case studies that illustrate the difficulties of determining investigative outcomes. These difficulties are due to the lack of policy precision and detail and a lack of clear and consistent application of police regulations. Finally, the authors discuss the noted failure of the police force to learn from past mistakes and to make needed organizational changes. In light of the large numbers of police-related fatalities and the lack of post-incident changes, the authors contend that the current police system is ineffective and, indeed, irresponsible in its duties to the public. Notes, references