Again, sorry for the double post but I forget one question I had since I began watching US pursuits:

Do all US law enforcement agencies use the PIT technique in pursuits? For me, it looks a rather dangerous maneuver since you are not only ramming the suspect but also endangering yourself as well. In Belgium, we use stop sticks as well but another technique we use, is creating a traffic jam so that the suspect is blocked in. On normal roads however, this isn't possible and officers aren't allowed to use ramming techniques, just box him in or deploy stop sticks.

Also, if a PIT is used, can only some officers perform it or are all officers trained in it?

Many thanks!

Depends on the department, you are going to hear that a lot lol

Most places use the PIT as well as stop sticks. At my sheriff's office everyone is trained to perform the maneuver. However, our pursuit policy is pretty strict and we won't usually pursue a vehicle except for certain reasons (forcible felonies). For the video I posted, which is the pursuit I was involved in, we were able to circulate the area quickly and since our aviation unit spotted the vehicle we were able to essentially set up a perimeter and keep an eye on the vehicle until we could get stop sticks out. There wasn't much of a "pursuit" involved in that until we punctured his tires, then we hang close and wait for a good chance to stop him.

We aren't going to PIT if the maneuver is going to potentially harm another citizen or cause much damage. In the case of this pursuit, the PIT was at a slow speed coming out of an intersection with no traffic in the immediate vicinity of the car. This was a perfect opportunity as you saw in the video.

Lol, no worries as long as I get an answer

Don't get me wrong, the PIT maneuver is a very good technique for stopping the vehicle and I understand that an officer won't use it if there is danger. What I meant however is that it is a dangerous technique for the officer himself, no?

Second, if everyone is trained in the PIT, is it the highest ranked officer who decides who will pit the suspect and when? Let's say you have both your Sheriff's office and the Florida Highway patrol in a pursuit, who decides who will get to PIT the suspect?

Sorry for all the questions lol :tongue:

Lol, no worries as long as I get an answer

Don't get me wrong, the PIT maneuver is a very good technique for stopping the vehicle and I understand that an officer won't use it if there is danger. What I meant however is that it is a dangerous technique for the officer himself, no?

Second, if everyone is trained in the PIT, is it the highest ranked officer who decides who will pit the suspect and when? Let's say you have both your Sheriff's office and the Florida Highway patrol in a pursuit, who decides who will get to PIT the suspect?

Sorry for all the questions lol

Of course it is dangerous for everyone involved. You are intentionally crashing your car into another vehicle in an attempt to wreck them. It can't be safe

As for who you will perform the PIT: usually the primary unit in the chase (the first car behind the suspect). If we can coordinate the PIT, sometimes we can set it up so a more experienced deputy or one who has performed PITs before to jump into the front of the chase and perform the maneuver. Usually we don't have that luxury.

There aren't many times when we will be in a pursuit with FHP. If we initiate the pursuit, other agencies like FHP don't typically get involved and sometimes they don't even know it is happening. Likewise, if FHP is in a pursuit that comes into our county then sometimes we might assist and sometimes we might not. It depends where it is taking place and what the crime is, or where their warrant is out of if applicable. If both of us are pursuing, then one of the agencies will be the primary and they would likely perform the PIT.

In all of the chases I have been involved in, FHP has never joined in and didn't have a reason to anyway. So I don't have any first-hand experience to state definitively what would happen if we were all chasing the car. Generally speaking, the agency that initiates the chase will retain control of it unless it goes outside of our jurisdiction. I've had a couple chases go into the county south of us and what happened then is that we patched our radio channel with that county so we were all talking to each other, then they picked up the chase. One or two of our deputies then becomes secondary in the chase while the rest disregard and remain inside the county. Once the vehicle is stopped in the county south of us, it then becomes a decision on which agency takes the suspect. Usually they go with the department who initiated the pursuit if it is fairly close.

I'm starting to get repetitive but thanks for providing me with your answer . Although you ave a complex system, it is surprisingly strict and clearly structured with rules.

Of course, Belgium is tiny and can't be compared to the US. I'll have to do with my own country's law enforcement From a criminologist's point of view, a country like the US with so many law enforcement agencies would just be a dream to work.

Edited September 7, 201114 yr by kjel0112