Hurtt: New chase policy isn't bad, it's misunderstood

HPD Chief Harold Hurtt made an appearance before a City Council committee yesterday to explain his proposed new chase policy, which concerned city leaders because it would bar officers from chasing suspects who refuse to stop for minor violations. But the policy is really nothing to worry about, Hurtt told councilmembers — the problem is, it's just misunderstood.

"We are not telling our officers not to pursue individuals," Hurtt said. "If the officer is only trying to stop an individual for a minor traffic violation, we think that the risk associated with the safety of the general public (and) the safety of the officer outweigh the need for us to immediately take that individual into custody."

Therefore, in a case where a driver refused to stop for a minor traffic violation, the officer would follow the driver until he or she could write down the license plate number, then would find the car and arrest the suspect later. The purpose of the policy change — which Hurtt sprung on the department late last month, then shelved after the criticism came — is to make the city safer for police officers and passersby, the chief said.

City councilmembers didn't really buy the idea that they don't understand the new policy: "I don't think the policy is confusing or that the problem is that we don't understand it," Councilwoman Anne Clutterbuck said. "I think the problem is that we completely disagree with it." She pointed out that people who run from routine traffic stops may be trying to get away with more serious crimes — and indeed, the Chronicle reported Sunday that 40 percent of the suspects chased after fleeing traffic stops since January 2005 were trying to avoid being arrested for drug possession, DWIs or felonies. The down side: Those chases also led to seven deaths, 143 injuries and $1 million in property damage.

City Council has no say over police policy, so yesterday's meeting with Hurtt was for information only. It's not clear when — or whether — Hurtt will decide to put the new chase policy in effect.