Officers from the New York City Police Department will have fewer chances to fuck shit up with their patrol cars after February 1st as a new rule taking effect will prohibit them from vehicular pursuits of suspects for traffic infractions and non-violent misdemeanors, a measure aimed at reducing the collateral damage often caused by car chases in the city, the New York Post reports.
“The NYPD’s enforcement efforts must never put the public or the police at undue risk, and pursuits for violations and low-level crimes can be both potentially dangerous and unnecessary,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “The advanced tools of modern-day policing make it possible to apprehend criminals more safely and effectively than before, making many pursuits unnecessary.”
The NYPD’s data shows roughly 25 percent of the nearly 2,300 vehicle pursuits in 2024 resulted in a crash, property damage or physical harm, including an Astoria woman on a bike who was killed when a burglary suspect hit her fleeing from cops on October 22nd. Not sure how that wouldn’t have happened with this policy in place given that burglary is usually charged as a felony.