Police Pursuits / Citizens Pursuits

[heehee]

Do you agree with what the guys did?

Two Ottawa men's decision to chase a car through residential roads at speeds exceeding 170 km/h to catch a suspected rapist has sparked a debate as to how far citizens should go when trying to help police.

Full article (http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/699171)

[Zombie Acorn]

Do you agree with what the guys did?



Full article (http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/699171)

I had to convert to mph first, 105 mph isn't really that fast if the conditions are good, especially in a car built for speed. Obviously we shouldn't have citizens doing this all the time, but in this instance if it kept track of the rapist while police responded I am fine with it. Im actually surprised a pontiac wave could go that fast, must have built up speed.

http://www.autofans.us/images/Porsche/Edo%20Porsche%20997%20Shark%20Test%20Drive%201.jpg

vs.

http://www.auto123.com/ArtImages/76523/2007-Pontiac-Wave-i001.jpg

[lionheartednyhc]

Do you agree with what the guys did?



Full article (http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/699171)

There is a reason that even police in most cities would not be allowed to pursue that car. And they have hundreds of hours of training and emergency lighting and the ability to divert traffic.

worst. idea. ever.

[Rodimus Prime]

honestly no. We have laws against that for public safety.

1.) you never take the victim with on a chase.
2.) The car they used to chase has no lights and sirens. Those lights and sirens warn people to get the out of the way. With out them there is no warning and boom.

[yg17]

A Pontiac can reach 105 MPH?

Seriously though, bad idea. That could've turned out a lot worse.

I had to convert to mph first, 105 mph isn't really that fast if the conditions are good, especially in a car built for speed. Obviously we shouldn't have citizens doing this all the time, but in this instance if it kept track of the rapist while police responded I am fine with it. Im actually surprised a pontiac wave could go that fast, must have built up speed.

http://www.autofans.us/images/Porsche/Edo%20Porsche%20997%20Shark%20Test%20Drive%201.jpg

vs.

http://www.auto123.com/ArtImages/76523/2007-Pontiac-Wave-i001.jpg

Huh? 105 isn't "that fast"? Have you ever actually driven a car at 105? I am ashamed to admit that I have (on an empty highway, not neighborhood streets though) and it is fast and very dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Even if the Porsche is built for that kind of speed, it's not safe. That's for a track and a track only, not public roads.

[Zombie Acorn]

There is a reason that even police in most cities would not be allowed to pursue that car. And they have hundreds of hours of training and emergency lighting and the ability to divert traffic.

worst. idea. ever.

Breakoff for police pursuit is usually 120 mph isn't it?

A Pontiac can reach 105 MPH?

Seriously though, bad idea. That could've turned out a lot worse.

This might be kind of an ass thing to think about, but when reading the story I was looking to see if the porsche got out unscathed.

[yg17]

Breakoff for police pursuit is usually 120 mph isn't it?

It probably depends on the crime. I'd imagine police would break off pursuit for a shoplifter pretty quickly but they wouldn't break off for a mass murderer.

[abijnk]

One word: Stupid.

[Rodimus Prime]

A Pontiac can reach 105 MPH?

Seriously though, bad idea. That could've turned out a lot worse.



Huh? 105 isn't "that fast"? Have you ever actually driven a car at 105? I am ashamed to admit that I have (on an empty highway, not neighborhood streets though) and it is fast and very dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Even if the Porsche is built for that kind of speed, it's not safe. That's for a track and a track only, not public roads.

It is one thing when you blast up to a 100+ mph but have you ever cruised at 100+mph. I will admit I have. I was doing 110 mph before I noticed how fast I was going and because I did not rocket up to that speed at was there for a while I didn't noticed it for a little while. Hell I been on a freeway doing 100 mph and I was on the slower side. The highway was booking it. (Speed limit was 70MPH)

70MPH seems fast when it start from 50 and rocket up to that speed but once you adjust to it you never noticed it and it does not feel as fast.

[yg17]

It is one thing when you blast up to a 100+ mph but have you ever cruised at 100+mph. I will admit I have. I was doing 110 mph before I noticed how fast I was going and because I did not rocket up to that speed at was there for a while I didn't noticed it for a little while. Hell I been on a freeway doing 100 mph and I was on the slower side. The highway was booking it. (Speed limit was 70MPH)

70MPH seems fast when it start from 50 and rocket up to that speed but once you adjust to it you never noticed it and it does not feel as fast.


Going through a residential area, I highly doubt they were cruising at 105. Probably a lot of turns and whatnot that required them to slow down. Porsches are awesome but they're not that awesome.

[abijnk]

Porsches are awesome but they're not that awesome.

It doesn't matter what the car is capable of. If it did then why would anyone ever wreck? What matters is who is behind the wheel, and just because you can afford a Porsche that does 105 doesn't mean you can drive a Porsche at 105. These guys got lucky, plain and simple.

[Zombie Acorn]

It is one thing when you blast up to a 100+ mph but have you ever cruised at 100+mph. I will admit I have. I was doing 110 mph before I noticed how fast I was going and because I did not rocket up to that speed at was there for a while I didn't noticed it for a little while. Hell I been on a freeway doing 100 mph and I was on the slower side. The highway was booking it. (Speed limit was 70MPH)

70MPH seems fast when it start from 50 and rocket up to that speed but once you adjust to it you never noticed it and it does not feel as fast.

Ive went 165 in my car before on a local strip, it doesn't seem like very fast when its an open area, in a residential zone it would probably seem like you were entering warp speed though with all of the houses going by.

I also question the residential area 100+ speeds, who clocked the speeds exactly? Its not like the police were behind them. Besides that pontiac wave probably has to get about a 5 mile stretch just to get up that fast.

[jw2002]

There is a reason that even police in most cities would not be allowed to pursue that car. And they have hundreds of hours of training and emergency lighting and the ability to divert traffic.

worst. idea. ever.

There have been many widely publicized accidents in which bystanders were injured/killed during high speed chases. The new thinking is to back off in favor of overall public safety and tail the culprit through other assets such as helicopter or unmarked vehicles. Furthermore, it's mainly the slow and steady police work that gets the bad guys in the end, not the flashy high speed chases.

[lionheartednyhc]

Breakoff for police pursuit is usually 120 mph isn't it?



This might be kind of an ass thing to think about, but when reading the story I was looking to see if the porsche got out unscathed.

Depends on the crime and the city. In SF, pretty much all pursuits are called off due to the obvious danger of driving over 9MPH in the city.

[Shivetya]

There is a reason that even police in most cities would not be allowed to pursue that car. And they have hundreds of hours of training and emergency lighting and the ability to divert traffic.

worst. idea. ever.

Actually when it comes to restricting police pursuits it mostly was a reaction to overly generous (or punitive - your choice ) juries who decided in the favor the civilians harmed during the pursuit.

[No1451]

I approve in principle if not in practice. Bringing in a criminal I approve of, but they were running a risk for everyone in the city, people could have been injured.

In a case like this you really have to weigh the gains vs the risks. Though considering how rude/uncaring some of my fellow Ottawa residents are I am surprised there was anyone willing to give a ****.

Edit: Sounds like they were out in the Kanata/Barrhaven area so it is entirely possible that it was very rural, with a little mix of a few suburbs, not quite the Rideau area but still fairly risky.