Oakland police chief to again seek policy change for high-speed chases

"Chief Floyd Mitchell has sought to loosen the restrictions over the past year, with encouragement from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who agrees that the policy limits the Oakland Police Department's ability to track down suspects soon after crimes have occurred. The rules, which currently apply to vehicle pursuits at speeds over 50 miles per hour, were tightened by ex-Chief LeRonne Armstrong in 2022, eight years after a prior chief had first disallowed pursuits except for suspects in serious or violent offenses."

""Once an officer initiates a pursuit," his latest proposed language states, "the primary unit shall notify the supervisor and obtain approval to continue the pursuit. If immediate verbal approval is not given, the primary unit shall terminate the pursuit.""

"Earlier this year, Michell suggested changing the policy so that police could notify supervisors of a high-speed chase "as soon as reasonably practical," but the request was flatly rejected by the Oakland Police Commission, a civilian-oversight body. The commission, a group of Oakland-based volunteers with unprecedented authority in police affairs, will consider the policy change at a meeting Thursday evening. It may be a heated debate. The community is still grieving the death of Marvin Boomer, a Castlemont High School teacher killed in May by a driver fleeing California Highway Patrol officers, who are not bound by Oakland's restrictions on vehicle chases."

The Oakland police chief seeks to relax restrictions that require prior permission for high-speed vehicle pursuits, arguing the policy hampers rapid suspect apprehension. The current rules apply to pursuits over 50 miles per hour and were tightened in 2022 after earlier limits were set for non-serious offenses. An initial proposal to allow notification "as soon as reasonably practical" was rejected by the civilian Oakland Police Commission. The chief's revised language requires supervisors to approve or the pursuing officer to terminate, but it does not define a timeframe for obtaining approval. The commission will consider the change amid community concerns following a fatal chase-related incident.

Read at The Mercury News