Last month, after St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster said he was going to change the Police Department's pursuit policy, Sgt. Karl Lounge was quoted in the St. Pete Times as saying, "It's game on now."
That comment has angered people like Ray Tampa, president of the St. Petersburg NAACP, who wrote in a letter to the Times earlier this week that Lounge's remark "gives the impression that he is eager to turn on the lights of his patrol car and start racing through the streets."
But in an email exchange with CL, Sgt. Lounge says that was not his intention at all. Contacted for a story on the policy that is the current edition of the paper, Lounge wrote a response to us earlier this week that we've opted to publish in its entirety on our site. You can read it below:
As with any quote given to the media, I included "Game On" as part of an entire conversation regarding the change in the pursuit policy. In this case its context was simply meant to be: we're finally going to be able to do our job rather then watch and wave as criminals drive away from us. My stance has always been for the policy to be expanded to include crimes such as burglary and auto theft with the understanding that its application is very controlled and limited to those times of day that put the public at a minimal risk. It's all too common for a midnight officer to respond to a string of vehicle burglaries committed by a group of suspects in a stolen vehicle. Unfortunately, as we approach these individuals and they flee, we must let them go. This is not only frustrating to the officers and victims who have witnessed such events, but empowers the suspects to continue their criminal behavior.
It's these situations that the change in the pursuit policy is meant to address, and not during the day, on crowded streets, near playgrounds or through city streets during rush hour. These crimes are occurring during the late night and midnight hours when there are very few vehicles on the road, when children and families are home sleeping and when although there may be a risk, it is significantly minimized.
In referring to it being "Game On", I in no way think this is a "game" as some of the responses have indicated. This is no "cowboy" mentality that wants to make St. Pete into the wild west of police chases. As a matter of fact, I of all people know of the dangers of vehicle pursuits. I recently returned after five months off from a broken ankle sustained in a foot chase following a vehicle pursuit that could have been ended quickly, but wasn't due to current policies. This brings up another necessary change in order to further reduce the risk during vehicle pursuits: ending the pursuit as quickly as possible.
Considerable attention has been given to the number of pursuits that end in crashes. This is because we have no authorized techniques to end a pursuit quickly, which means we chase vehicles until they crash or the driver decides to stop. There are techniques such as, stop sticks, boxing in and the PIT maneauver available. All safe techniques that we don't currently use. It's no wonder most of our pursuits end in crashes, there is no other way for them to end.
Another interesting point that's been overlooked is how many pursuits will arise from this policy change. The reality is that it will be very few, as this change will only apply to certain crimes, under certain conditions after specific guidelines have been met. Although I have no crystal ball, I would guess maybe eight to twelve a year (based on my actual experience on the midnight shift for the past seven plus years). The impact on having the ability to pursue and apprehend these repeat criminals will have a significant impact on current crime patterns and the future of the repeat offenders.
As you see, there's a whole lot more to this issue then simply it being "Game On" as some critics would like to twist for their own agendas. Quite frankly, if some of those same critics would focus on correcting some of the social problems and taking control of the young criminals in their own communities, we wouldn't be having this discussion.
I hope this shed a little light on my thoughts and intentions as it being "Game On" regarding the pursuit issue.
Thank You,
Karl Lounge, Vice President
Fraternal Order of Police
Pinellas Lodge 43
This article appears in Mar 3-9, 2010.