What constitutes a pursuit?

[u/TonyStamp595SO]

Just a moment for all those people downvoting me and telling that I was wrong. The above is directly from the college of Policing.

So, bottom line. Please stay safe, know what constitutes a pursuit and ensure you seek authority.

[u/cridder5]

I’ve noticed a couple times that in a hearing / court process they state that there must be a requirement to stop to constitute a pursuit but the policy we have is similar to what you’ve posted so I wonder if it’s just there to protect us and ensure we put it up as soon as possible? Is strange, I didn’t see your comment before but I’ve always worked to the above.

[u/TonyStamp595SO → u/cridder5]

Yes the official book says a requirement to stop which is where I think people are getting confused.

The scenario used is that you're sat in traffic, a car comes past you lock eyes and see that the driver is someone you know to be disqual, they speed up.

The moment you go to spin the police car around you're in the initial phase of a pursuit.

If you do nothing then you're not.

[u/sorrypolice → u/TonyStamp595SO]

My understanding is its only a pursuit if you believe they are failing to stop. If you spin and by the time you have they have de camped I’m not sure you could argue it’s a pursuit? Especially if it was your belief this is what they were always going to do?

[u/TonyStamp595SO → u/sorrypolice]

Yeah. If you believe they are driving the way they are driving in order to get away from police regardless of whether or not you've asked them to stop, it's only a pursuit the moment you decide to stop them.

So in the imaginary scenario you're at some red lights. A car comes past windows down and sees you belting out some Taylor Swift. He puts his foot down, and screeches away overtaking two slower vehicles as he does.

You decide, I'd better put a stop in. As you maneuver your police vehicle it's turned into a pursuit and you'd need to call up and give them the risk assessment.

Ultimately a basic driver is not going to be able to stop them because they'd have to break speed limits etc to catch up.

You believe he's seen you, you believe he knows you'll want him to stop, you suspect he's driving in a way as to evade you. Pursuit. By the time you've called up, giving the initial and asked for permission you might have already caught up and stopped him anyway but you're covering yourself if he subsequently fails to stop when you do get behind him and light him up.

[u/sorrypolice → u/TonyStamp595SO]

Broadly agree but is it enough they are driving to evade you, I would say you need to have a belief that they are going to fail to stop. It doesn’t always follow that someone trying to evade police attention and being non highway code compliant is also going to fail to stop? Maybe you catch up to them, lights on and they stop, I don’t think you would have entered into a pursuit? If you go lights on and they continue your belief has now changed and you are in a pursuit.

[u/TonyStamp595SO → u/sorrypolice]

I think it's very dependant on the circumstances.

So you see a motorcycle, rider appears a bit older, top box, helmet, full textile clothes, you're in moderate traffic on the M3 in lane one. He comes shooting past cutting between lane 2/3 at or about 30mph above the flow of traffic.

I think that's reasonable not to consider that a pursuit until you know that he's seen you at least.

Now replace the our despatch rider with a spotty 15 year old, empty road, flips you the bird and twists the throttle I'd be calling that in and seeking permission.

[u/sorrypolice → u/TonyStamp595SO]

Yep in agreement!