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The Evidence Base of Police Pursuits

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Police Pursuit Driving

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Abstract

In Chap. 3, we review the research evidence on police pursuits, providing readers with a comprehensive chart of research and study findings. While some generalizations can be made from this body of research about the characteristics of pursuits and their outcomes, there are many gaps in data availability and reporting that need to be addressed to strengthen the evidence-based of vehicular pursuits.

This chapter builds on the second author’s report to the International Association of Chiefs of Police regarding research on police pursuits: Lum, C. and Fachner, G. 2008. Police pursuits in an age of innovation and reform. Alexandria, VA: International Association of Chiefs of Police. New research is included, and analysis and commentary is updated regarding the state of empirical research of police pursuits.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The studies in Table 3.1 do not include qualitative or legal examinations of specific pursuits or studies of pursuit policies.

  2. 2.

    The IACP pursuit database does provide the opportunity for agencies to submit this information to the database.

  3. 3.

    These include apprehensions after a crash.

  4. 4.

    One reviewer also suggested that, “It may also be useful to examine the aggregate liability costs related to civil judgments involving police pursuits.”

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Alpert, G.P., Lum, C. (2014). The Evidence Base of Police Pursuits. In: Police Pursuit Driving. SpringerBriefs in Criminology(). Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0712-0_3

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