Vehicle Pursuit Policies & Public Safety

• Before starting a suspect apprehension pursuit, a police officer is required to determine whether the need to apprehend or identify someone in a fleeing vehicle or identify the vehicle itself outweighs the potential risk to public safety.

Supervision

• Pursuit Supervisor attendance is mandatory to monitor when a pursuit is initiated.
• Pursuit Supervisor notification is mandatory when a pursuit is initiated.

Public Safety

• Public safety is the most important factor in any decision to start, continue, or end a pursuit.
• Public safety is a dynamic factor that must be continually assessed.
• An officer will not breach conduct standards if he decides not to initiate or chooses to abandon a pursuit.
• This is acceptable if the officer believes the risk to public safety from the pursuit outweighs the risk if the individual or vehicle is not immediately apprehended or identified.
• A pursuit should be the last resort, considered only when other options are unavailable or unsatisfactory.
• Before starting a pursuit, an officer must determine if the need to apprehend or identify someone in the fleeing vehicle or identify the vehicle outweighs the risk to public safety.
• During a pursuit, an officer must continually reassess the decision to pursue and should abandon the pursuit if the risk to public safety outweighs the risk of not immediately apprehending or identifying.

Criminal Offences

• An officer may pursue if they have reasonable grounds to believe a criminal offense has been or is about to be committed.
• The criminal offense of flight is not sufficient justification to initiate a pursuit but can result as a charge incidental to a pursuit undertaken for another lawful reason.
• Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle arising from the pursuit itself is not sufficient grounds to continue the pursuit.

Non-Criminal Offences

• A pursuit must not be started or continued for a non-criminal offense if the identity of the individual in the motor vehicle is known.
• A pursuit for a non-criminal offense must be abandoned once the motor vehicle or individual is identified.

Responsibility for Safe Conduct

• The responsibility for the safe conduct of a pursuit rests with the individual police officer, the Communications Operator, the pursuit supervisor, and any other authorized person monitoring the pursuit.
• The service has installed Automated Vehicle Location System (AVLS) equipment in all marked vehicles equipped with a Mobile Workstation.
• AVLS uses GPS to determine location, speed, and direction of a marked vehicle at specific times.
• The AVLS equipment transmits data and can be viewed using the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system.

Public Safety Factors

• Members must continually assess factors when involved in or monitoring a pursuit, giving equal consideration to all factors:
  • Nature and seriousness of the offence involving a suspect in the motor vehicle
  • Information on occupants of the motor vehicle, if known, e.g if they are armed or suspects in a violent crime etc.
  • Nature, condition, and type of area (residential, industrial, playground, etc.)
  • Presence of pedestrians or other traffic
  • Time of day
  • Apparent age of the driver
  • Weather and road conditions
  • Manner in which the pursued motor vehicle is being operated
  • Presence in the pursued motor vehicle of individuals who are not suspects
  • Length of time and distance involved
  • Type of vehicles involved in the pursuit (motorcycle, car, truck)
  • Presence in the police vehicle of non-police passengers
  • Limits on the police officer's ability to operate the police vehicle at speeds reached during the pursuit
  • Availability of other means of apprehension

Suspect Apprehension Pursuit Restrictions

• An officer in an unmarked vehicle shall not engage in a pursuit unless a marked vehicle is not readily available, and the officer believes it is necessary to immediately apprehend or identify.
• Motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle operators cannot engage in a pursuit.
• No more than two motor vehicles should be directly engaged in a pursuit unless authorized by the pursuit supervisor.
• Complete or partial roadblocks can only be used in extreme circumstances and must be authorized by a road supervisory officer and/or the pursuit supervisor.
• Following a pursuit on a parallel route is prohibited unless directed by the pursuit supervisor.

Firearms Discharge

• Discharging a firearm at a motor vehicle is an ineffective method of disabling the vehicle and may present a hazard to the officer and public.
• Members are prohibited from discharging a firearm at a motor vehicle solely to disable it.
• Members shall not discharge a firearm at the operator or occupants of a motor vehicle unless there poses an immediate threat of death or grievous bodily harm by means other than the vehicle.
• Disabling the operator may cause a hazard to both the officer and the public.
• Members shall not place themselves in the path of an occupied motor vehicle to prevent its escape.
• Members should not attempt to disable an occupied vehicle by reaching into it.

Alternative to Pursuit

• Prior to a pursuit, officers should consider alternatives from the Suspect Apprehension Pursuit Training Manual:
  • Strategic following
  • Follow-up investigation
  • The Tandem Stop
  • Use of tire deflation devices, when available
  • The use of a helicopter, when available
  • Strategic use of rear, side, and combination methods for stopping vehicles

Methods of Terminating a Pursuit

• During pursuit, officers and supervisors should consider methods from the Suspect Apprehension Pursuit Training Manual:
  • Strategic pursuing
  • Abandoning
  • Use of tire deflation devices, when available
  • Rolling block
  • Stationary roadblock
  • Pinning
  • Intentional contact
• Officers may intentionally cause a marked or unmarked vehicle to come into physical contact with a fleeing motor vehicle for stopping it if they believe it is necessary to immediately protect against the loss of life or serious bodily harm, assessing the impact on the safety of others.
• Officers may cause a marked or unmarked motor vehicle to come into physical contact with the fleeing motor vehicle to pin it, if the fleeing vehicle has lost control or collided and the driver continues to flee.
• Officers involved in a pursuit, with assistance, may position their vehicles to prevent the movement of the fleeing motor vehicle.
• Strategic pursuing is the primary driving mode during an active pursuit, with the intent to increase the distance between vehicles, encouraging the driver to stop.
• When using this technique officers shall activate all emergency equipment and follow the fleeing motor vehicle from a significantly increased distance.
• Strategic pursuing may be used until the driver stops voluntarily, another termination method is employed, or the pursuit is abandoned.
• Strategic pursuing is the primary driving mode during a pursuit with activated emergency equipment only, and not to be utilized once a pursuit has been abandoned.
• When the fleeing motor vehicle is a large truck, bus, motorcycle, or off-road vehicle, use only the following methods to terminate a pursuit:
  • Strategically pursue the fleeing motor vehicle with emergency equipment activated until it stops, or abandon the pursuit.

Reporting of Pursuits

• Following every pursuit, the initiating officer must complete a TPS 348 before the end of their tour, and an eReport if no suspect was apprehended.
• For pursuit reporting, the officer shall indicate the reason for stopping the vehicle and justification for initiating and continuing the pursuit, the risk to public safety, the names of the pursuit supervisor and road supervisor, and a summary of the events.
• The summary should describe, in narrative format, a brief, chronological, synopsis of the events pertaining to the pursuit.
• Personal identifiers should not be recorded in this section of the report.

Pursuits Involving More Than One Police Service

• When multiple police services are involved the responsible supervisor is the supervisor in the jurisdiction where the pursuit is initiated until handed over.
• Ensure coordination of a joint Fail to Stop Report.

Police Officer Responsibilities

• When a driver of a fleeing vehicle refuses to stop, and circumstances dictate that a pursuit will not be initiated, the police officer:
  • Must advise the Communications Operator.
  • Complete applicable sections of a TPS 348
  • Complete a TPS 227, if applicable
  • Complete the applicable eReports
• When a driver refuses to stop, and a pursuit begins, the police officer:
  • Must immediately advise the operator of the driver's refusal.
  • Assess public safety factors and continuously update the Communications Operator:
    • Description of the fleeing motor vehicle, speed, location, and direction of travel
    • Information on the nature and seriousness of the offense
    • The presence of pedestrians or other traffic, road and weather conditions
    • The manner in which the fleeing motor vehicle is being operated
    • Any other public safety factors
  • Must activate emergency lights and siren, if equipped.
  • Must activate the In-Car Camera System (ICCS), if equipped.
    • Police officers shall not adjust the ICCS while actively engaged in apprehending or pursuing a fleeing motor vehicle.
  • Must comply with any directions given by the pursuit supervisor.
  • May be held liable for any Criminal Code or Highway Traffic Act offense committed in relation to the pursuit.
  • Must remain on their assigned channel, unless otherwise instructed by the Communications Operator.
  • Must advise the pursuit supervisor of any methods to be used to terminate the pursuit, when practicable.
• When initiating a pursuit in an unmarked vehicle:
  • Request a marked vehicle attend and engage in the pursuit.
  • Immediately abandon the pursuit when a marked vehicle arrives and becomes engaged in the pursuit.
• When the risk to public safety outweighs the need to apprehend or identify:
  • Immediately abandon the pursuit
  • Bring the marked or unmarked motor vehicle to a safe stop
  • Turn off emergency equipment, if equipped
  • Advise the Communications Operator that the pursuit has been abandoned
  • Provide the last known direction of the fleeing motor vehicle, and the vehicle description
  • Advise the Communications Operator of the current location and odometer reading of the vehicle

Communications Operator – Communication Services Responsibilities

• When advised of a pursuit and complying with unit-specific policies, the operator shall:
  • Notify an Operational Supervisor
  • Advise other patrol units of the pursuit
  • Advise supervisory officers when a pursuit is initiated and abandoned
  • Provide pursuing officers any information on dangerous circumstances or conditions
  • Control radio communications during the pursuit
  • Inform adjoining jurisdictions that a pursuit is in progress

Pursuit Supervisor Responsibilities

• When advised of a pursuit and complying with unit-specific policies, the supervisor shall:
  • Assume control of the pursuit
  • Order additional police vehicles to assist, if required
  • Order unnecessary police officers to resume regular patrol, if required
  • Monitor the progress of the pursuit and ensure compliance with this Procedure and O. Reg. 266/10
  • Order and co-ordinate termination methods where time and circumstances permit
  • Authorize the use of approved methods of terminating the pursuit
  • Order the pursuit abandoned when the risk to public safety outweighs the need to apprehend or identify

Road Supervisory Officer Responsibilities

• When advised of a pursuit a road supervisory officer shall:
  • Monitor the communication
  • Advise the Communications Operator that they are monitoring
  • Order the pursuit abandoned when appropriate & advise the pursuit supervisor
  • Assume the role of pursuit supervisor in the absence of an Operations Supervisor
• At the conclusion of a pursuit, they shall review the TPS 348 and include comments

Definitions

• Abandon Pursuit: the discontinuation of a pursuit when officers are no longer pursuing the vehicle for the purpose of stopping or identifying the motor vehicle or an individual.
• Pursuit Supervisor: a communications supervisor or, if unavailable, a road supervisory officer.
• Suspect Apprehension Pursuit: when an officer attempts to direct a driver to stop, and the driver refuses, leading the officer to pursue in a vehicle to stop or identify.