PUBLIC-ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE PURSUIT DRIVING

Although studies have reported the risks and benefits of police pursui t driving as well as the attitudes of law enforcement personnel, littl e is known about the public's perception of pursuit. The current study helps fill this void by examining citizens' attitudes toward police p ursuit. The findings from three sites indicate that citizens support t he police in their attempt to apprehend suspects of serious crimes, bu t the support diminishes when the nature of the offense is nor as seri ous. In addition, the findings suggest that public support decreases w hen information about the dangers of pursuit are presented. Overall, t he study indicates that an informed public is less likely to accept th e necessity of police use of pursuit, especially for less serious crim es. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.