Police chases are a serious danger to anyone involved. Whether it’s the officers themselves, the suspects, or just innocent bystanders, they are a high-risk event that happens in every state across America. Unfortunately, some states experience more than others. This is for a multitude of reasons, like population density, crime rates, and law enforcement policies.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the top states in America with the most police chases.
California
With many starting from a simple infraction like speeding, California leads the nation in police pursuits, with a lot of them sadly ending in fatalities. High population density and extensive freeway systems likely contribute to the high number of crashes during pursuits.
Urban areas in California, like Los Angeles, are particularly notorious for frequent chases, often broadcast live on television.
Texas
Second in pursuit-related fatalities, Texas is one of the worst states in the country for police chases. The extensive highway network gives people lots of space to perform high-speed getaways, so the police really have their work cut out for them. Additionally, the proximity to the Mexican border leads to a lot of drug-related pursuits.
Florida
Tourist-heavy regions in Florida, as well as major highways like I-95 and I-75, see a lot of chases. The state’s diverse geography, including urban and rural areas, presents unique challenges for the police during pursuits.
With the high number of tourists, Florida is heavily focused on trying to maintain public safety and apprehend suspects, so chases are only natural.
Georgia
With its dense traffic and complex roadways, Atlanta is another hotspot for police chases. The combination of urban and rural landscapes once again poses problems and requires law enforcement to adapt to a wide range of factors. Ongoing training and policy evaluations aim to reduce the risks associated with high-speed pursuits. Right now, though, Georgia is rife with chases.
Ohio
Law enforcement agencies in Ohio often face difficulties with high-speed pursuits. They face a lot of challenges because of unpredictable weather, which impacts visibility and road conditions. Police can only do so much to catch the criminals if they’re unsafe while chasing them. This has prompted departments to consider improving their cars to improve safety during chases.
Pennsylvania
Diverse terrain, including rugged mountains and extremely busy metropolitan areas such as Philadelphia, makes police chases very challenging in Pennsylvania. Authorities are trying their hardest to improve the training and technology given to officers.
They hope that this will solve the amount of police chases happening in their state. Only time will tell if it will work.
Alabama
High-speed chases on Alabama’s roads often pose a serious threat to both law enforcement and civilian lives. It’s a state where some of the most police chases happen in the country, so their authorities are working their hardest to try and change that. Frequent assessments are being done to try to improve strategy and maintain public safety.
Missouri
With an extensive highway network, Missouri is, unfortunately, home to a lot of police chases. Urban hubs such as St. Louis and Kansas City see frequent incidents because of their high concentration of people and poverty. This has prompted officials to evaluate and adapt their policies for greater safety.
Louisiana
Officers in this state encounter a lot of unique obstacles because of all the waterways, which sometimes forces them to coordinate with marine units during chases. Can you imagine being in a car chase until the suspect jumps out and gets into a boat instead?
These scenarios require a lot of coordination between officers, which is always tough when the stakes are high.
South Carolina
The winding backroads and tourist-heavy coastal areas present a lot of difficulties for law enforcement during pursuits in this state. Officers often need to think about the unpredictable traffic and crowded public spaces in order to maintain safety. This is particularly true in popular destinations like Charleston and Myrtle Beach.
Michigan
Michigan’s police pursuits are often complicated by dense urban traffic in cities like Detroit. To make matters worse, police legislation hasn’t been on their side until recently. Hopefully, the police will have more chances in the future to catch all the criminals running away from them. It’s one of Michigan’s highest priorities.
Tennessee
The hilly terrain and frequent fog of Tennessee certainly add a layer of complexity to police pursuits. Being one of the worst states in the country, this is not a factor the police wish they had to deal with.
Departments are always working on how best to account for environmental hazards and keep their officers and civilians safe.
North Carolina
As growing communities have introduced more traffic and unpredictable pedestrian activity into North Carolina, the police have faced new difficulties during police chases. The state attempts to use community outreach to understand how to improve, but right now, North Carolina still has a lot of chases. Additionally, officers often face dangerous weather events, such as hurricanes, that disrupt how well they’re able to handle chases.