Starting on June 11, drivers who flee from law enforcement in Pinellas County, Florida, will have their vehicles seized and sold under the state’s Contraband Forfeiture Act.
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced the new initiative during a press conference on June 5, FOX 13 Tampa Bay reports. He said that the move is necessary to crack down on the numerous drivers who run away from Pinellas County deputies daily, noting that this initiative will help send a message to follow the law.
The sheriff’s office reported that since January 2022, there have been 1,042 cases where drivers have run from deputies. And this number doesn’t account for the 10 other police departments in the county, meaning that the number of fleeing motorists in the area could be a lot higher.
Gualtieri says he hopes the move will also help curb police pursuits, which are already few and far between due to public safety risks in the densely and highly populated county.
“We don’t actively engage in dangerous high-speed pursuits when they do flee because we value life over traffic violations and over property. We do pursue when it’s worth the risk, when someone is engaged in a violent crime, they are a threat to the community, or they are engaging in extremely dangerous driving and must be stopped,” explained Gualtieri, citing a 40% increase in fatal traffic crashes from police pursuits between 2019 and 2022 nationwide.
According Gualtieri, drivers flee for various reasons, with common scenarios including outstanding warrants, influence of drugs or alcohol, or a suspended license.
“If you don’t stop, and you’re wrong, we’re going to take your car, and we’re going to sell it.” Gualtieri warned. “You won’t have your car anymore, and you won’t have the opportunity to run and endanger others’ lives.”
Under this initiative, deputies will be able to track down drivers who evade capture and sell their vehicles. Additionally, drivers could lose their cars if someone else uses their vehicle and flees from the police. The rule will also apply to rental car companies.
“So, if a car flees and the owner is not the driver who fled, the owner will be provided with a written notice that a specific person who was driving their car committed the felony crime of fleeing and eluding in their vehicle,” Gualtieri continued. “They’ll be told that if the same person does it again, then we will seize their car and sell it.”
