Washington County - Wash. Co. - Law Enforcement Interagency Pursuit Agreement WASH ING--1.- -,oN COUNTY SHER- if-' S OFFICE
"Conservators of the Peace"
R
Sheriff Rob Gordon Unders.heriff David Hepp
April 22, 2003
Chief Bill Dickinson
Tigard Police Department
13125 SW Hall Blvd
Tigard, Oregon 97223
RE: Washington County Law Enforcement Interagency Pursuit Agreement
Dear Chief Dickinson:
Enclosed for your records, you will find a copy of the updated Washington County Law
EnforcementInteragency Pursuit Agreement that has been signed by all agencies involved.
The original agreement will be kept on file at the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
Sincerely,
ROB GORDON, SHERIFF
Kerri Taylor
Administrative Assistant
Enclosure
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215 SW Adams Avenue, MS #32 • Hillsboro, OR 97123-3874
phone 503.846.2700 • fax 503.846.2'604 • www.co.washington.or:us/sheriff
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WASHINGTON COUNTY LAW
ENFORCEMENT INTEIRAGENCY
PURSUIT AGREEMENT
I POLICY
The policy of this Agency is to provide guidelines and responsibilities for the
initiation and termination of a vehicular pursuit. Vehicle pursuits must be conducted in
such a way so as to minimize the risk of injury to officers and citizens and reduce the risk
of damage to property. All pursuits may be reviewed to determine the appropriateness of
actions taken. Legal constraints for the operation of emergency vehicles are provided in
the Oregon Revised Statues. All members of the Agency shall be familiar with and
operate police emergency vehicles in accordance with these statutes,this policy and their
own individual agency policy.
A. Decision Accountability
It is recognized that there is a basic need for pursuit under certain circumstances.
Great reliance is placed upon the individual officer and field supervisors in the
application of the experience and training. Officers shall not be openly criticized
for their decision to terminate xather than continue a pursuit.
Any agency initiating a pursuit or any agency agreeing to takeover a pursuit
accepts the responsibility for pursuit tactics,and for continuing or terminating the
pursuit.
II DEFINITIONS
"Barricade'/"Roadblock"is the intentional blocking of a roadway, by any
means, to stop a vehicle being pursued.
"Boxing in"is the placement of a police vehicle into the path or potential path of
a vehicle with the intent of slowing and stopping the vehicle or keeping the
vehicle stopped.
"Channelization"is a technique where objects or vehicles are positioned in a
manner intended to direct or redirect the path of a fleeing vehicle.
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"Code 3" is defined s driving an emergency vehicle in an emergency situation
using emergency lights and siren
"Paralleling"is driving,police vehicles parallel to the pursuit in a Code"3"
response with the intent to keep up with or cut off the fleeing vehicle.
"Pursuit Driving"is an active attempt by:a police officer operating a motor
vehicle in a Code"3"condition to apprehend one or more occupants of another
moving vehicle, when the driver of the fleeing vehicle is aware of that attempt
and is resisting apprehension by maintaining or increasing the vehicle speed,
ignoring the officer or attempting to elude the officers while driving at speeds in
excess of the legal designated speed.
Pursuit Intervention Technique(PIT) is intentional contact between a police
vehicle and apursued vehicle in such a manner as to cause a 180-degree spin and
subsequent stop of the pursued vehicle.
"Ramming" (Deliberate)is using a police vehicle to purposely cause forceful
contact with another vehicle in order to bring that vehicle to a stop,where the use
of deadly force is justified.
"Stop Sticks"/"Spike Strips"is a strip of belting containing specially designed
hollow spikes,which penetrates tires,thereby slowing the fleeing vehicle by
deflating the tire(s).
"Supervisor"is any ranking officer with supervisory authority including a
temporarily assigned shift,OIC (officer in charge)
III. PROCEDURES
A. Officer Considerations:
1. Oregon Motor Vehicle Code, Section 820.300, outline the privileges and
conditions of a driver of an emergency vehicle when in pursuit of an
actual violator of the law.
a. The section does not relieve the driver of an emergency vehicle
from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all others,
nor protect them from the consequences of criminal negligence or
reckless conduct.
2. In initiating a pursuit, the officer(s)must carefully consider the facts,
seriousness of the offense, the possible consequences, and the safety of
citizens.
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3. The officer shall consider the following factors when making a decision:
a. Nature of charges—pursuits of persons suspected of serious crimes
are viewed as more justifiable than those.of persons suspected of
only misdemeanors or traffic violations.
b. Time of day.
C. Volume of vehicular traffic.
d. Location of pursuit.
e. Weather conditions.
f. Road conditions
g. Speeds involved.
h. The performance capabilities of the pursuit or pursued vehicle.
i. Pedestrian traffic.
j. Driving behavior of pursued driver.
B. Communications
1. When a motor vehicle pursuit is initiated,the officer involved shall
immediately provide to the dispatcher the following information:
a. Unit identifier, and the fact that they are in pursuit.
b. The location and direction of travel.
C. Description of the vehicle and occupants.
d. Reason for the pursuit.
e. Speed of both the pursued and the pursuing vehicles.
f. Request a supervisor be notified.
2. During the pursuit the officer(or back-up officer)shall give periodic
updates of:
a. Location and direction of travel.
b. Speed of both the pursued and pursuing vehicles.
C. Driving behavior of pursued driver.
d. Any other pertinent information.
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3. The duties and responsibilities of dispatch are outlined in Washington
County Consolidated Communications Agency Police Pursuits Operations
Directive O-P-9-010803. These include,but are not limited to:
a. Declaring a"Signal Two"on the radio frequency for the pursuing
units.
b. Record and relay relevant pursuit information.
C. Confirm that the pursuing agency's supervisor is aware of the
pursuit.
d. Coordinate units to assist the pursuing officer.
e. Notify adjoining agencies of the pursuit.
4. Upon the termination of the pursuit the officer(or back-up officer)shall
give the location of termination,under what circumstances the pursuit was
terminated(motor vehicle accident, voluntarily stopped, etc.), and what
the status is at the scene of the termination(Situation is Okay, (Code4),
more assistance needed, etc.)
C. Supervisory Responsibility
Upon being notified'or becoming aware of.a pursuit,the field supervisor of the
agency initiating the pursuit shall become responsible for the pursuit and has the
discretion to order specific units into or out of the pursuit. The field supervisor
may at any time order the termination of a pursuit when he believes the necessity
of immediate apprehension is outweighed by the level of danger created by the
pursuit.
D. General Guidelines
The following are general guidelines concerning a vehicle pursuit:
1. Unless otherwise directed by a supervisor,no more than three police
vehicles,regardless of agency, shall become actively involved in a pursuit.
Other officers should be alert to the pursuit progress and locations.
2. No police unit involved in a pursuit will pass another police unit, unless it
is reasonably,safe, the officer has communicated their intentions, and there
is;a legitimate purpose.
3. Unless specifically authorized by a supervisor,pursuing officers will not
drive along side,ram, force off the road or box in the suspect vehicle.
Such action may be approved only when authorized by separate
department policy.
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4. Paralleling of a pursuit is not permitted; however other Agency vehicles in
the immediate vicinity of a pursuit may proceed using routine response to
designated positions to assist in apprehending the fleeing driver, unless
otherwise directed by a supervisor.
5. Officers operating unmarked vehicles equipped with emergency lights and
siren may engage in pursuits only when the fleeing vehicle represents an
immediate and direct threat to life. Whenever a marked vehicle becomes
available to assume the pursuit initiated by an officer in an unmarked
vehicle, the unmarked vehicle shall not maintain the lead position.
6. No officer shall become involved in a vehicular pursuit if an arrested
person, a suspect, complainant,witness, or civilian observer(unless a
waiver is signed), is in the police vehicle.
7. When a pursuit is initiated by any law enforcement agency, and the pursuit
enters another jurisdiction,the initiating unit(s) shall notify the other
agency. Officers from other agencies shall not become involved in a
pursuit unless it is requested by the initiating agency or the agency
currently responsible for the,pursuit. If the other agency assists in the
pursuit itwill switch radio frequency to that of the initiating agency. If the
other agency isnot able to assist in the pursuit, it will advise the.pursuing
agency and the pursuing agency will maintain the responsibility of the
pursuit. If the other agency is asked to take over the pursuit and accepts
responsibility for the pursuit, all pursuit units will switch to the radio
frequency of the agency accepting responsibility for the pursuit, unless
directed otherwise by the on duty supervisor of the agency responsible for
the pursuit, or Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency
personnel. Units of the agency accepting responsibility for the pursuit will
take the lead positions as soon as it is safe to do so. If the pursuit leaves
Washington County and an outside agency assumes responsibility for the
pursuit, the radio frequency to be utilized will be determined by the
agency or their dispatch facility. When an assisting agency chooses to
withdraw from a pursuit for any reason they shall immediately notify the
agency responsible for the pursuit.
S. Officers shall not pursue suspects the wrong way on any interstate
highway,controlled access highway,or any divided roadway unless when
absolutely necessary, and when so doing must exercise:extreme caution.
When an officer is in pursuit of a vehicle that enters a freeway, the Oregon
State Police shall be notified and requested to assist in the pursuit.
9. An officer shall not discharge a firearm from a moving vehicle.
10. The use of roadblocks may_be authorized by individual department policy.
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11. The use of hollow spike strips may be authorized by individual department
policy.
12. The use of PIT may be authorized by individual department policy.
13. The use of channelization may be authorized by individual department
policy.
14. Officers shall use extreme care when disobeying traffic control devices,
even where the statutes specifically permit such conduct. Officers shall
make continuous use of all available warning devices to alert other
motorists and pedestrians and drive with their windows up. State law also
requires the officer to exercise"due regard for the safety of all other
persons"(ORS 820.300)
15. "HIGH RISK TRAFFIC STOP"procedures will be employed when the
pursued vehicle is apprehended.
16. Any primary or backup unit sustaining failure of essential vehicular or
emergency equipment during pursuit shall notify the field supervisor or
communications so another unit may be assigned to the pursuit.
E. Terminating a Pursuit
Any officer involved in a pursuit shall terminate the pursuit under any one of the
following conditions:
1. When ordered to terminate by a field supervisor or higher authority of the
agency currently responsible for the pursuit.
2. When the officer believes the level of danger created by the pursuit
outweighs the necessity for immediate apprehension.
3. When an assisting agency chooses to withdraw from a pursuit for any
reason they shall immediately notify the agency responsible for the
pursuit.
4. When the suspect's identity has been established to the point that later
apprehension can be accomplished; and there is no longer,any need for
immediate apprehension.
5. When the pursued vehicle's location is no longer known.
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6. VWhen motorists/pedestrians are involved in an accident as a result of the
pursuit, immediate assistance must be given. If there is only the primary
pursuing vehicle,then this vehicle:must stop to provide assistance.
7. The officer will,notify the dispatcher the pursuit is being terminated.
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WASHINGTON COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERAGENCY PURSUIT
AGREEMENT
We below, agree with the above listed policy and response for the Washington County
Interagency Pursuit Agreement.
This agreement does not depend for its value on enforceability in a court of law, but
rather on the spirit of cooperation and willingness to work together to make our
community a better, safer place to live and work.
This Agreement shall commence and take effect on March 1, 2003, or date of signing,
and continue from year to year thereafter. This agreement may be modified at any time
by mutual consent of the parties hereto. Any participating agency to the Agreement may
withdraw upon the giving thirty (30) days written notice to the other participating
agencies.
PARTIPICANTS:
Washington County Sheriffs Office: Oregon State Po e:
By By
Sheriff
Date i/ e2 ops Date 7—it Q3
City of Banks: City of Beaverton:
By By
of of Police Chief of Police
Date 1/- c%3 Date //'?/0 3
City of Cornelius: City of Fores rove:
V
Chief of Police hie f of Polic
Date 03-(3- ZC903 Date
s
City of Gaston: City of Hillsboro:
By 101cpfA By .�
Chief of Police Chi f of Police
67
Date 03-l 9-O'3 Date `3
City of King City: City of North Plains:
By &Aj�
�_ B.IF- ME
-
Chief of Police Chief of P6 C/TY Mq,�A16A-
Date a/ /,5 )x000-- Date gq:e&l t— / S: Z 003
City of Sherwood: City of Tigard:
By By
Chief of Police Chief of Police
Date Date 13, -,-o o 3
Ci Tualatin: Wash' on ounty Consolidated
Com u 'c on ge y:
B
Chief of Police By.
Director
Date /PAet* !3 2=03
Date AbA4cd /3 Z003
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