By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
Although the USA Today has tallied more than 370 police officers who were killed in high-speed chases since 1980, the FBI put the number of fatalities at just 24.
The USA Today arrived at the number by analyzing U.S. Department of Transportation records.
The newspaper also found that chases are the fifth-leading cause of death among police.
The USA Today found:
The undercount is one of the most extreme examples of the federal government’s inability to accurately track violent deaths, and has led the FBI to minimize the danger of police chasing motorists, often at high speeds and in dangerous conditions, at a time when many police departments are restricting or considering restricting vehicle pursuits.
“The fact that these numbers have been undercounted further emphasizes the magnitude of the problem and the need for sensible restrictions on pursuit driving,” said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a think tank on law-enforcement issues. “This is important for the safety of officers and citizens alike.”
The FBI responded by saying it plans to improve how it counts the number of officers killed in high-speed chases.
