🚀 go-pugleaf

In la.general Bruce James Robert Linley <linley@netcom.com> wrote:
: Great logic here. Maybe I'm totally upside down on the matter. No one's
: saying cops should never pursue suspects. But when it gets too dangerous
: for the surrounding civillians and grossly endangers their lives, particu-
: larly when the suspect is being chased for non-violent, non-homicide
: offenses, then yes, there is a point at which the chase becomes too
: risky and too expensive to pursue. Maybe that means the bad guy gets
: away sometimes. Catching the bad guy at any cost, though, is a seriously
: flawed philosophy. Tell me why you think this is wrong? If anyone has a
: better solution, I would be delighted to hear it. Until then, my original
: opinion stands- high speed chases should end when they endanger the public.
: It's as simple as that.

One fine night Mrs. Linley is at home with her two daughters, 12 and 14.
Some "bad guy" breaks into her home and ties her up. Using a sharp knife
her face is slashed. Then he takes the two daughters and rapes them in
front of the helpless mother. He cuts two fingers off the one who was
going to be a concert pianist. Then he flees into the night. As he reaches
the curb he decides that he needs wheels and breaks into a car. The cops
see him. They give chase, but then, following the Linley laws that Mr.
Linley fought so hard to get in place, they cease the chase when they
determine that the suspect (who they think is only a car theif) is "too
risky and too expensive to persue."

Gee, Bruce. You're right. I have to agree with you now. Your reasons are
sound. UNTIL IT'S YOUR WIFE AND KIDS MAYBE? I was fortunate to work on the
Dukakis campaign when Mike went on TV and lost the presidency when he
failed to understand that crime doesn't just happen to the other guy. You
can stand above it all you want, but if that scum sucking dirtbag harmed
your family, you wouldn't want the police to stop the chase just because
they thought he was only a car thief. MikeD forgot that he was a husband
and that cost him (well that and the tank incident) the election. I
suggest you learn from his mistake and start to personalize the experience
of a victim, not the scum sucker.

jmi
former democratic congressional candidate (CA-46 1994)