Further implications
All that can be said with certainty about the current situation with regard to high speed police chases is that it is not sustainable. The level of risk to the public is neither politically nor morally acceptable, particularly when fatalities can be children and other obviously innocent bystanders.However, there is no obvious solution to the problem.
The recent decision in New South Wales to increase dramatically the penalties imposed on those who flee a crime would appear to fly in the face of reason. Suspected criminals generally flee a scene to escape capture. Imposing a prison term upon them for leaving a crime scene would seem to be an encouragement to them to strive harder to escape. This appears to be particularly the case when it is already acknowledged that hardened criminals will already drive highly recklessly in order to force the police to call off a chase.
However, it seems equally unlikely that there will be a permanent moratorium on high speed police chases. The public's desire to have criminals apprehended and property protected, together with both the police's and politicians' perceptions of their public duty is likely to mean that such a ban could never be kept in place. It is also the case that knowledge of such a ban would be an incentive to commit crimes as perpetrators would have an increased belief that they could escape apprehension.
Perhaps the solution lies with advances in technology. New high speed chase equipment is to be trialled by South Australian Police under State Government plans to boost police funding.
On February 24, 2010, the South Australian Premier Mike Rann announced that the Star Chase system, which is used by Los Angeles and Arizona police, is to be trialled in ten patrol vehicles at a cost of $250,000.
Under the system, police shoot a GPS tracking device on to the car being chased and can then retreat and follow the criminals from a safe distance which dispatchers track the car via a secure website. Mr Rann said this would make it safer for the pursuing police and other road users. He claimed, 'This new crime-fighting device is designed to stop the high-risk, high-speed car chases on our roads while keeping criminals or hoon drivers under safer but constant detection.'