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Policy 307Santa Ana Police Department Santa Ana PD Policy Manual Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/09/03, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Ana Police DepartmentVehicle Pursuits - 1Vehicle Pursuits 307.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE This policy provides guidelines for vehicle pursuits in order to protect the safety of involved officers, the public, and fleeing suspects (Vehicle Code § 17004.7). 307.1.1 DEFINITIONS Definitions related to this policy include: Blocking - A preventive maneuver where emergency vehicles are strategically positioned to prevent a suspect from moving their vehicle, usually before a pursuit starts or at low speeds. Boxing-in - A low-speed tactic designed to stop a fleeing vehicle by surrounding it with emergency vehicles and then slowing all vehicles to a stop. Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) - A low-speed tactic designed to apply lateral pressure to the rear quarter panel of a fleeing vehicle, causing it to spin out, stall, and come to a stop (also known as a Precision Immobilization Technique). Ramming - The deliberate act of impacting a fleeing vehicle with another vehicle to functionally damage or otherwise force the fleeing vehicle to stop. Roadblock - A tactic designed to stop a fleeing vehicle by intentionally placing an emergency vehicle or other immovable object in the path of the fleeing vehicle. Tire deflation device - A device designed to be placed on the roadway and puncture the tires of a fleeing vehicle, sometimes referred to as spike strips. 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 an officer's signal to stop. 307.2 POLICY It is the policy of this department to balance the need to apprehend a fleeing suspect with the risks associated with vehicle pursuits. 307.3 INITIATING A PURSUIT Officers who have received appropriate training are authorized to initiate a vehicle pursuit when the need to apprehend a fleeing suspect clearly outweighs the risks a vehicle pursuit poses for officers and the public. When balancing the risk of a pursuit with the need to apprehend the suspect, officers shall consider: (a)The seriousness of the known or reasonably suspected crime committed by the suspect and the threat to the safety of the public if the suspect remains at large. Santa Ana Police Department Santa Ana PD Policy Manual Vehicle Pursuits Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/09/03, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Ana Police DepartmentVehicle Pursuits - 2(b)Whether the identity of the suspect is known with enough certainty to enable apprehension at a later time. (c)The speed of the vehicles relative to the conditions of the area, such as the population density, amount of vehicular and pedestrian traffic (e.g., school zones), time of day, road conditions, environmental conditions (e.g., hills, curves, mountains), and weather conditions. (d)The pursuing officer's driving capabilities, familiarity with the area, and quality of radio communications with the dispatcher/supervisor. (e)The nature of the pursuing unit (e.g., marked vs. unmarked) and its speed and performance capabilities in relation to the fleeing vehicle (e.g., performance motorcycle). (f)Whether there are other persons in or on the fleeing vehicle and their relationship to the situation (e.g., passengers, co-offenders, hostages). (g)Whether the pursuing unit is carrying passengers other than on-duty police officers. Pursuits should not be undertaken with an arrestee in the pursuit vehicle unless exigent circumstances exist. (h)The availability of other resources such as air support or vehicle locator/deactivation technology. 307.4 PURSUIT UNITS Vehicle pursuits should be limited to three police department emergency vehicles (two pursuit units and the supervisor vehicle). However, an officer or supervisor may request that additional units join a pursuit if, after assessing the factors outlined above, it reasonably appears that the number of officers involved may be insufficient to safely arrest the number of suspects. 307.4.1 EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT Vehicle pursuits shall only be conducted using authorized police department vehicles that are equipped with emergency lighting and sirens as required by Vehicle Code § 21055. Each pursuit unit's emergency lights and sirens should remain activated throughout the unit's participation in the pursuit. Officers operating vehicles not equipped with emergency lights and siren are prohibited from pursuing a fleeing vehicle or joining a pursuit. Officers in such vehicles may provide support to pursuing units when needed, but should operate the vehicle in compliance with all traffic laws and should discontinue such support immediately upon arrival of a sufficient number of authorized emergency vehicles or any air support. 307.4.2 MOTORCYCLES AND UNMARKED UNITS When involved in a pursuit, police department motorcycles and unmarked vehicles should be replaced by marked four-wheel emergency vehicles as soon as practicable. Santa Ana Police Department Santa Ana PD Policy Manual Vehicle Pursuits Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/09/03, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Ana Police DepartmentVehicle Pursuits - 3307.4.3 PRIMARY UNIT The initial pursuing officer should be designated as the primary unit and will be responsible for the conduct of the pursuit unless that unit is unable to remain reasonably close to the suspect's vehicle. The primary responsibility of the officer initiating the pursuit is