GO 521.0120Pursuit of Vehicles

SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS GO 521.01 Page 1 of 11 521.01 PURSUIT OF VEHICLES 12-2-2025 PURPOSE The purpose of this order is to provide peace officers involved in vehicle pursuits with guidance in balancing the safety of the public and themselves against law enforcement’s duty to apprehend violators of the law. POLICY It shall be the policy of the Sacramento Police Department (SPD) to balance the importance of apprehending suspects who unlawfully flee from law enforcement against the risks associated with vehicle pursuits. PROCEDURE A. DEFINITIONS 1. INTERVENTION TACTICS - Specific operational tactics (e.g., blocking, boxing-in, pursuit intervention/immobilization technique [PIT], ramming, roadblock procedures, tire deflation device, other application of technology, etc.) involving the use or presence of a physical force, intended to end a vehicle pursuit by disabling a fleeing vehicle or otherwise preventing further flight or escape. 2. PRIMARY UNIT – The law enforcement unit, typically the initiating unit, responsible for controlling a vehicle pursuit. 3. PURSUIT INTERVENTION TECHNIQUE (PIT) - A low -speed tactic intentionally applied to cause the suspect vehicle to spin out and terminate the pursuit. 4. SECONDARY UNITS – Additional law enforcement units assisting the primary unit and directly involved in a vehicle pursuit. 5. SURVEILLANCE MODE - A response in which an air unit is used as an observation platform for continued surveillance of a motor vehicle after a pursuit has been terminated at the direction of a supervisor. 6. TIRE DEFLATION DEVICE - A device that extends across the roadway designed to puncture the tires of the pursued vehicle, sometimes referred to as spike strips or stop-sticks. 7. TERMINATE - To discontinue a pursuit or stop chasing fleeing vehicles. 8. TRACKING SOFTWARE – A web -based software that allows employees to enter vehicle pursuit incident information into a computer database. 9. TRAIL - Following the path of the pursuit at a safe speed while obeying all traffic laws and without activating emergency equipment. If the pursuit is at a slow rate of speed, the trailing vehicle will maintain sufficient distance from the pursuit vehicles so as to clearly indicate an absence of participation in the pursuit 10. VEHICLE PURSUIT - An event involving one or more law enforcement officers attempting to apprehend a suspect, who is attempting to avoid arrest while operating a motor vehicle by using high- speed driving or other evasive tactics, such as driving off a highway, turning suddenly, or driving in a legal manner but willfully failing to yield to a peace officer’s signal to stop. B. OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES 1. It shall be the policy of the SPD that a vehicle pursuit shall only be conducted using SPD emergency vehicles that are equipped with and displaying emergency lighting and sirens as required by Vehicle Code § 21055. a. Officers operating vehicles not equipped with emergency lighting and sirens are prohibited from initiating or joining in any pursuit. SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS GO 521.01 Page 2 of 11 2. Vehicle Code § 21055 authorizes the driver of an emergency vehicle to disregard certain provisions of Division 11, “Rules of the Road,” while engaged in rescue operations , in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator, or when responding to an emergency. a. In accordance with Vehicle Code § 21056, the “Rules of the Road” exemption does not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the: (1) Duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons. (2) Consequences of an arbitrary exercise of the provision. 3. Peace officers involved in a vehicle pursuit shall immediately: a. Activate their vehicle’s emergency lights to include a forward- facing solid red light . b. Continuously sound the vehicle’s siren . 4. Available in -car camera (ICC) and body -worn camera (BWC) systems shall be activated whenever a peace officer is involved in a vehicle pursuit. a. Officers shall not deactivate their ICC or BWC until the investigative or enforcement activity has concluded in accordance with General Order 525.07 and General Order 525.03. b. If an officer is unable to activate the ICC or BWC system, or the system fails to record all or part of the vehicle pursuit, the officer shall immediately contact their supervisor and note the reason that a recording was not made on the call history and in the associated general offense report. C. WHEN TO INITIATE A PURSUIT 1. Peace officers are authorized to initiate a pursuit when the officer reasonably believes that a suspect, who has been given a signal to stop by a law enforcement officer, is attempting to evade arrest or detention by fleeing in a vehicle. 2. Deciding whether to pursue a motor vehicle is a critical decision that must be made quickly and under difficult and unpredictable circumstances. 3. The following factors shall be considered in deciding whether to initiate a pursuit: a. The seriousness of the known or reasonably suspected crime and its relationship to community safety. b. The importance of protecting the public and balancing the known or reasonably suspected offense and the apparent need for immediate capture against the risks to officers, innocent motorists, and others . c. The safety of the public in the area of the pursuit, including the type of area, time of day, the amount of vehicular and pedestrian traffic (e.g., school zones), and the speed of the pursuit relative to these