Televised Live Pursuits

[Cidp24]

Countybear started me thinking in another thread with his quote regarding pursuits in the Los Angeles area.

Does anyone else consider it more than a coincidence that the area where the most high-speed pursuits are covered by live news is the same area that has the highest frequency of high-speed pursuits?

Drop the live media coverage, I'll bet the frequency of pursuits will decrease as well.

I heard an opinion on TV the other night that televising pursuits deterred pursuits because the public saw that most ended in an arrest or crash. I just dont see it.

I also think that televising the pursuit causes civilians to get involved, either trying to be vigilantes or as rubberneckers. I just dont think the risk is outweighed by the "public saftey" issue of warning the public.

Your opinion?

[bufford408]

I think that they cause more pursuits then they stop. We all have seen the pursuit where the kids in the stolen car are driving around the neighborhood waving at their friends. Bad guys like the attention.

[213th]

I think anybody, in this day and age especially, that is not already aware of the way the majority of pursuits end will not learn anything by watching a televised one. In fact, it's my opinion that alot of people who are pursued are fully aware of the consequences and are trying to avoid them. Televising a pursuit I think is only going to encourage people to go out and see it for themself, and of course, give a form of fame to the bad guy.

[Jks9199]

I agree with those posting above.

Let's stop televising live pursuits. Let's stop rewarding these assholes who decide to shoot up schools or malls with press coverage. All you do by televising some of this is encourage the assholes.

[OffDuty]

+1 its all about sensationalist journalism and nothing more. I doubt numbers exist for "deterring pursuits" like you cannot predict how many armed robberies you prevented by driving thru your beat.

[phoenix]

I agree with those posting above.

Let's stop televising live pursuits. Let's stop rewarding these assholes who decide to shoot up schools or malls with press coverage. All you do by televising some of this is encourage the assholes.

I agree.It's kinda like school bomb threats or even 'bad coffee' at a certain place.Media can do alot of good,to the just ones.The ones who are responsible for this crap,and even more,,the ones who want a new place for fame ,eat up the news.If a single incident is reported only ONCE chances are it will come around at least a few times more.But,We all know any incident is reported again and again.Most of it with a certain type of undeniable 'flair'You wont believe what happened TODAY!!!Later at 12,6,9,11......

[mack]

I think another thing about televised pursuits is the negative spin on LE because of them. Civilians see and judge and only see what has happened from above, they don't know what has gone on before the pursuit started or hear what is being said at the end, they just judge by what the purcieve to be happening.