April O'Neil / news@WHMI.com

In an effort to reduce the inherent risks involved with police pursuits, Col. James F. Grady II, director of the Michigan State Police (MSP) announced the MSP is aligning its pursuit policy with best practices that will protect the lives of innocent bystanders and enforcement members.

Under the new policy, which took effect March 14, 2024, MSP enforcement members may only engage in a pursuit if there is probable cause to believe the driver or occupant of the pursued vehicle has committed a life-threatening or violent felony.

“High-speed pursuits are one of the most dangerous circumstances police officers face,” stated Grady. “A key consideration in any pursuit must be the seriousness of the underlying crime and whether the risks of a pursuit outweigh the public safety benefits of immediately apprehending the suspect. In all decisions, protecting lives – that of innocent bystanders, police officers, and fleeing suspects – is of paramount importance and it is for this reason we have revised our policy.”

In 2022, MSP members engaged in 235 pursuits; this number increased by one to 236 pursuits last year. So far this year, MSP members have been involved in 33 pursuits.

Nationally, on average, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice, crashes occur in at least 30 percent of vehicle pursuits, and injuries or fatalities occur in 5 to 17 percent of pursuits.

MSP’s revised policy aligns with recommendations from the Police Executive Research Forum in its 2023 report, “Vehicular Pursuits: A Guide for Law Enforcement Executives on Managing the Associated Risks.”

This policy, as well as all other non-confidential department Official Orders can be found online on MSP’s Transparency and Accountability webpage at the provided link.

A copy of the amended order is also attached.