The San Diego Police Department has decided to implement six recommendations from the city’s Commission on Police Practices on high-speed pursuits — but only partially.
Chief Scott Wahl said the department believes that the recommended restrictions could negatively affect public safety by increasing reckless and dangerous driving.
The SDPD sent a memo to the commission on Jan. 17, stating their reasoning for partially rejecting the recommendations.
In November, the commission recommended that the department change its policies to limit high-speed pursuits after a 2023 accident in which a vehicle being pursued slammed into another car, killing two children and severely injuring their mother and another woman.
The police department did agree to revise its procedures to prioritize protecting life by including language from the California Highway Patrol’s Pursuit Policy and Emergency Vehicle Operations.
The department also agreed to adopt a definition of pursuit identical to CHP to continue with uniform reporting standards.
The commission recommended that the SDPD should restrict the justification of pursuits for infractions, property offenses, misdemeanors, traffic violations, and non-violent warrants.
“We’re always working to improve our policies and procedures, and we saw these recommendations as an opportunity to do just that,” San Diego police chief Scott Wahl said.
“In the end, we agreed with many of the commission’s recommendations, and we’ll be putting them into practice.”
