New York Attorney General Letitia James is calling for a statewide ban on high-speed police pursuits, except in cases where a driver poses an imminent threat of death, according to a newly released report.
The report highlights data showing nearly one person per day died in pursuit-related crashes from 1996 to 2015. James argues the dangers outweigh the benefits for minor offenses. Law enforcement officials, while not entirely opposed, worry the blanket policy would restrict their ability to act, especially in vehicle theft cases.
Police union leaders criticized the proposal as based on selective data and urged lawmakers to focus instead on penalizing those who flee from lawful traffic stops.
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