'No pursuit' policy lets crims go
New police guidelines, dubbed by officers as the 'no pursuit' policy, are letting criminals drive away from their crimes and get away with it.
Statistics given exclusively to Seven News show last year more than 1500 chases were called off, with more than half of the offenders never caught.
They know they're wanted. They know police are following. And criminals in Queensland know they will get away with it after statistics revealed up to 80% of police pursuits are abandoned.
The Queensland Police Union have spoken out, saying criminals know if they break one road rule police are forced to terminate a chase.
Police call it the 'no pursuit' policy.
Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said safety was the first priority.
"In most cases on balance it's better to let them go and that's a very difficult thing to do," he said.
However the commissioner has admitted the police service is yet to find a balance when it comes to police pursuits.
In 2006 when pursuit guidelines were tightened, there were 186 reports of drivers evading police. Seventy-seven drivers or 41 per cent weren't caught.
The following year the crime rate more than tripled with 589 drivers refusing to stop. 39 per cent were never found.
By 2010, 972 attempted to evade police with 45 per cent of those succeeding for good.
Last year evade police reports exploded to 1508 reported offences, 989 drivers or almost 60 per cent, are still on the run.
"If they continue to increase we've got have a look at this," Commissioner Atkinson said.
These statistics were given to Seven News by police officers, sick of watching criminals who've committed crimes like armed robberies and ram raids drive away.
The restrictions were recommended by the state coroner, who investigated the deaths of seven men, women and children during police pursuits.
The maximum magistrate-issued fine for evade police was increased to $20,000.
Commissioner Atkinson said his understanding was that the average fine was actually somewhere around $250, that's $50 less than the fine drivers get when they are caught on their mobile phone.
But police have to find them, to fine them. forty per cent speed away, in stolen cars.
