New Mars Forums

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: L.A. Car Chases, Media & Cops

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/police_chase_tv]This has got to stop.

*Innocent bystanders are being killed in these chases.  A man and his 4-year-old daughter just barely missed being hit and killed today.  That's simply one of many. 

I've heard (more than once) that often the violator has committed only a minor offense to begin with.

The media is out of control and this is merely for entertainment purposes.  They recently got a guy on camera waving a big purple piece of fabric (towel? cloak?) out the window -- he'd manipulated the police into chasing him just to get on TV.

It's got to stop.  There's no place for this sort of "culture" on our streets.  It's utterly moronic.

I understand sometimes the cops have to give chase, but a lot of this is simply out-of-control behavior and avoidable.

--Cindy

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

DanielCook

Member

From: Atlanta, GA

Registered: 2004-02-19

Posts: 90

Re: L.A. Car Chases, Media & Cops

Didn't the LAPD announce a while ago (last year, I think) that they were no longer going get "involved" in this type of high speed chase?

If I remember correctly, the LAPD's concern was, amongst other things, the collateral damage to innocent members of the public, and the danger to its own members.

<Shake head>

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-- memento mori

Shaun Barrett

Member

From: Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Registered: 2001-12-28

Posts: 2,843

Re: L.A. Car Chases, Media & Cops

I guess the answer, in the long term, will be cars with electronic I.D. If, once identified by police as involved in something reckless or illegal, it's impossible to hide a car, chases will be unnecessary - they'll get you later in the supermarket carpark or your own driveway.
    I suppose tagging all vehicles electronically is one more incursion of 'Big Brother' into our lives, though.  ???

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The word 'aerobics' came about when the gym instructors got together and said: If we're going to charge $10 an hour, we can't call it Jumping Up and Down.   - Rita Rudner

Grypd

Member

From: Scotland, Europe

Registered: 2004-06-07

Posts: 1,879

Re: L.A. Car Chases, Media & Cops

I have seen a rather strange almost futuristic way of stopping a car that is speeding and not willing to stop when told to do so.

It is basically the equivalent of a wheeled remote controlled car with a taser that fries the electronics inside the car so stopping engines etc. Im not sure what powers it but it seemed to be some form of fuel/engine rather than an electric battery power and it is quided by the police car that is behind. And since it only blows the fuses in a car it means the driver inside will loose his power steering but still be able to steer and to brake but he wont have the ability to restart an engine.

It is hoped to be used by Police patrol cars in and around the major cities as the use of stingers(spike strips) etc can be difficult and fugitive drivers are more aware of them and when they will likely be used. And there has been an increased example of people willing to run even without tyres so exposing themselves and other drivers at severe risk.

heres to the future

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Chan eil mi aig a bheil ùidh ann an gleidheadh an status quo; Tha mi airson cur às e.

clark

Member

Registered: 2001-09-20

Posts: 6,363

Re: L.A. Car Chases, Media & Cops

Yeah, cops shouldn't chase criminals. We would all be safer.

:laugh:

Commodore

Member

From: Upstate NY, USA

Registered: 2004-07-25

Posts: 1,021

Re: L.A. Car Chases, Media & Cops

Yeah, cops shouldn't chase criminals. We would all be safer.

:laugh:

  When you put it that way it does sound absurd.

How about a magnetic tracking beacon fired at the car by either by helo or police car. That way we only need to get moderately close once, and can keep an eye on them without putting one in every car and thus pissing off everyone (plus anything electronic can be disabled).

The thing is they still run from choppers, so by the time we can get to the car when it does stop the perp could be long gone.

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"Yes, I was going to give this astronaut selection my best shot, I was determined when the NASA proctologist looked up my ass, he would see pipes so dazzling he would ask the nurse to get his sunglasses."
---Shuttle Astronaut Mike Mullane