General Chat

After Yesterdays M4 crash in which a motorist being chased by police turned onto the motorway the wrong way. Police were at pains to point out that they stopped chasing at that point but the motorist continued up the motorway crashing into another car, four people were killed.

It seems to me that it is the police who are being blamed for this and other accidents involving car chases, and methods are today being examined and questions raised as to whether they should be chasing criminals at high speed in cars in the first place.

How about blaming the criminals themselves? After all, if they were not committing a crime, surely they would not be chased at all?

I feel sorry for the innocent victims in all this and I really dont know if I would be whistling the same tune if it had been one of my family.

But, if you watch any chases on TV, and there are plenty, they generally have their sirens going, as with any emergency, they usually keep a safe distance etc.

I have just watch a piece of footage on sky news (yes them again) showing a chase in which the criminal driver was all over the place cutting corners, driving on grass verges and eventually crashing into a lamp post! Serve him right I say, and I fail to see how any of the officers in persuit of this car, again with sirens and at a safe distance can be held to blame for what happened.

i agree with every thing you say TW,

if crim's had just mugged my mum or something like that, then yes i would expect the police do their duty and catch them. our so called justice system is far to soft as it is

lynn x

I feel so desperately sorry for the family of those killed yesterday, of course......but the criminals killed them, not the police.

If there were more police helicopters these sorts of accidents might not happen as often as the helicopters can follow the stolen car or fleeing criminals while the police get into a position to intercept them.

Until that happens the police pull back if the pursuit is getting too dangerous for the general public.

Guess who watches the police chases on tv! :))

xx

Stiff sentances needs to be given out and get these joy raiders thugs sorted out...

Stiffer sentences is fine Hayley, but they have to catch them first...and thats where the problem begins.

The police aren't to blame........... ok, there is the argument to say that they shouldn't chase at speed but if not these people get away and just do it again.

Stiffer sentences are needed........you see were they get community service orders..... theey must be laughing at the legal system.

Helicopters would be better but round where I live it got sidelined to certain hours of the day as people complaining of the noise......what a joke !!

Helicopters cost around £65k a day to run, but we would all object to a rise in council tax to fund them wouldn't we.

I think the police are in a no-win situation here. If they chase them and it goes wrong, they get the blame, if they don't chase them then everyone says, why aren't the police doing anything?

I say let them do their jobs and get on with it. If someone gets hurt it is down to the criminal being chased.

Its a case of 'Don't shoot the messenger' in a way

I had no idea it cost that much to run a helicopter!

Yes, the criminals do seem to get away with one heck of a lot now before any major punishments are given to them.

Fines are paid out of the state benefits they receive as the majority don't work.........and community service is a bit of a joke really.

I think the police do the best they can given the resources and red tape they have to deal with.

xx

if they chase them with sirens blazing surely thats warning other road users. If they just let them go then these accidents will happen anyway. Who is to say that driver would not have gone the wrong way on a motorway if he was not being chased.

If the police didnt siren all guns blazing chase then the car driver wouldt nessesary speed,,its like a fox chase the faster the hounds the faster the fox,,,heavy tatics,

I belive there are safer methods than used at the moment,,,,,,,,,and my opinion is,,,,,,,,yes the police are to blame as they cause the driver to panic and take risks at increased speed that they wouldnt normally do in these circumstances,,,,,,,,,,,criminal or not,,,,,,,,,,

What safer methods would you suggest kay?

I take your point about being chased escalating the criminals speed, but how else could they catch them.

They perhaps should do like the police in the USA.

Bump the car to cause it to crash then shoot the driver it he tries to escape.

So Kay, if your car had been stolen, maybe with some belongings in it, would you not report it to the police in case they saw it and chased it?

Or having reported it, and finding out they had seen it, but lost it because they did not chase it, wouldn't you question that, asking why they did nothing to get your car back?

I actually believe that some of these joy riders, bank robbers, drug dealers or whoever is using the car actually enjoy the thrill of being chased. They think they are infallible and drive like idiots, attracting attention.

Would you feel the same if say, a dealer was caught on the street, a cop chased him on foot, and without thinking, the dealer runs into the path of an oncoming bus and is killed? Would you still say, the cop should no have given chase?

Peter.....police don't carry guns routinely, only in special circumstances.

xx

I'm with Peter on this one..............some of the drivers of these car's are high on drugs, armed etc and will stop at nothing not even the thought that they may kill someone

Just to say I am happy for the debate to continue.

Linda x

Thank you Linda. xx

If you notice, though in the USA as well as all police being armed, the roads are wider, quieter and there are a huge number of places to safely bump a car to force it off the road.

Here, it would almost certainly cause severe damage to property and maybe innocent bystanders too.

A different situation altogether in my opinion anyway.

xx

Agree on those points Kitty..............and I can't defend and say that using guns reduces crimes as it doesn't .......... but I do think we need a tougher stance..............but don't know the answer