Policy Text
CATEGORY DATE ADOPTED LAST REVIEW
1 01/24/2011 06/01/20 20
TUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS
_________________
458 - Foot Pursuit Policy 1 POLICY 458 FOOT PURSUIT POLICY
458.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
Foot pursuits are inherently dangerous and require common sense, sound tactics and heightened
officer safety awareness. This policy sets forth guidelines to assist officers in making the decision
to initiate or continue the pursuit of suspects on foot by balancing the objective of apprehending
the suspect with the risk of potential injury to the officer, the public or the suspect.
458.1.1 POLICY
It is the policy of this Department when deciding t o initiate or continue a foot pursuit, that officers
must continuously balance the objective of apprehending the suspect with the risk and potential
for injury to Department personnel, the public or the suspect.
Officers are expected to act reasonably, ba sed on the totality of the circumstances. Absent
exigent circumstances, the safety of Department personnel and the public should be the primary
consideration when determining whether a foot pursuit should be initiated or continued. Officers
must be mindful that immediate apprehension of a suspect is rarely more important than the
safety of the public and Department personnel.
458.1.2 ACCREDITATION STANDARDS
This section pertains to the following CALEA Standards: N/A
458.2 DECISION TO PURSUE
Officers m ay be justified in initiating a foot pursuit of any individual the officer reasonably believes
is about to engage in, is engaging in or has engaged in criminal activity . The decision to initiate or
continue such a foot pursuit, however, must be continuousl y re-evaluated in light of the
circumstances presented at the time.
Mere flight by a person who is not suspected of criminal activity , shall not serve as the sole
justification for engaging in an extended foot pursuit without the development of reasonable
suspicion regarding the individual’s involvement in criminal activity.
Deciding to initiate or continue a foot pursuit is a decision that an officer must make quickly and
under unpredictable and dynamic circumstances. It is recognized that foot pursuits potentially
place Department personnel and the public at significant risk . Therefore, no officer or supervisor
shall be criticized or disciplined for deciding not to engage in a foot pursuit because of the
perceived risk involved.
If circumstances permit , surveillance and containment are generally the safest tactics for
apprehending fleeing persons. In deciding whether to initiate or continue a foot pursuit, an officer
should continuously consider reasonable alternatives to pursuit based upon the circumst ances
and resources available, such as the following:
CATEGORY DATE ADOPTED LAST REVIEW
1 01/24/2011 06/01/20 20
TUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS
_________________
458 - Foot Pursuit Policy 2 a) Containment of the area ;
b) Canine search ;
c) Saturation of the area with patrol personnel ;
d) Aerial support ;
e) Apprehension at another time when the identity of the suspect is known or there is
information avai lable that would likely allow for later apprehension, and the need to
immediately apprehend the suspect does not reasonably appear to outweigh the risk of
continuing the pursuit .
458.3 GUIDELINES FOR FOOT PURSUIT
Unless the officer reasonably believes that exigent circumstances exist (e.g. a serious threat to
the safety of personnel or members of the public), officers should consider alternatives to
engaging in or continuing a foot pursuit under the following conditions:
a) When directed by a supervisor t o terminate the foot pursuit. Such an order shall be
considered mandatory ;
b) When the officer is acting alone ;
c) When two or more officers become separated, lose visual contact with one another, or
obstacles separate them to the degree that they cannot immedi ately assist each other
should a confrontation take place. In such circumstances, it is generally recommended
that a single officer keep the suspect in sight from a safe distance and coordinate the
containment effort ;
d) The officer is unsure of his/her loca tion and direction of travel ;
e) When pursuing multiple suspects and the pursuing officers do not reasonably believe that
they would be able to control the suspect should a confrontation occur ;
f) When the physical condition of the officers renders them incapabl e of controlling the
suspect if apprehended ;
g) When the officer loses radio contact with Communications or with backup officers ;
h) When the suspect enters a building, structure, confined space , or a wooded or otherwise
isolated area and there are insufficient officers to provide backup and containment . The
primary officer should consider discontinuing the pursuit and coordinating containment
pending the arrival of sufficient officers ;
i) The officer becomes aware of unanticipated or unforeseen circumstances that
unreasonably increase the risk to officers or the public ;
j) The officer reasonably believes that the danger to the pursuing officers or public
outweighs the objective of immediate apprehension ;
k) The officer loses possession of his/her firearm or other essenti al equipment ;
l) The officer or a third party is injured during the pursuit, requiring immediate assistance,
and there are no other emergency personnel available to render assistance ;
m) The suspect’s location is no longer definitely known ;
n) The identity of the s uspect is established or other information exists that will allow for the
suspect’s apprehension at a later time, and it reasonably appears that there is no
immediate threat to