By Richard Chumney
New Haven Register, Conn.
HARTFORD, Conn. — A new study of vehicle chases involving Connecticut police officers has found that about 80% of pursuits were called off early last year, reflecting the adoption of stricter rules around stopping evading drivers.
The findings were included in a 49-page report released on Monday by the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy, a nonpartisan public policy think tank based at the University of Connecticut .
The study comes about six years after the Police Officer Standards and Training Council introduced stricter standards regarding police pursuits that aimed to prevent potentially deadly vehicle crashes.
“The high rate of termination of these events suggests that law enforcement are adhering to the statewide policy, which emphasizes that officers evaluate when the risks outweigh the benefits of continuing the engagement,” Ken Barone , a co-author, said.
The study found that police officers engaged in 396 pursuits during the course of 2025, working out to about 33 each month. About 68% involved a single police vehicle, while the remaining third involved multiple units.
The data is based on pursuit reports that were submitted by 68 police departments across the state. The report shows that thirty municipal departments did not submit any records for the calendar year.
A motor vehicle violation — including speeding, reckless driving and failing to stop — was cited as the most common reason for starting a pursuit. Such offenses accounted for 59% of chases.
Meanwhile, suspected criminal offenses were noted in 41% of pursuit cases while only 14% of reports explicitly state the chase was in response to a suspected violent offense, the study found.
The researchers noted that the updated pursuit policy adopted in 2019 generally restricts chases to violent crimes or exigent circumstances “that warrant the need to apprehend the suspect in a timely manner.”
“The policy makes it explicit that motor vehicle offenses, property crimes and nonviolent crimes are not appropriate grounds for pursuit, barring extraordinary circumstances,” the report states.
Of the nearly 400 chases last year, 16% ended in a collision, 7% resulted in reported injuries and 18% involved property damage. The study found that “concluded pursuits” were six times more likely to result in collisions, injuries or damage than those that were terminated.
About 85% of pursuits were determined to be within POST policy, while 10% were found to be outside policy and the rest did not include a determination. More than a third of the chases outside of policy involved the Connecticut State Police , the report shows.
The study found that younger drivers were no more likely than older drivers to engage in dangerous pursuits, and that there was no difference in the relationship between criminal history and whether a pursuit was terminated or pursued to conclusion.
Researchers warned that the report relies on inconsistent reporting practices from police departments and is missing information, including location data. They said they plan to work with POST to develop new reporting methods.
“Nationally, data on police pursuits is limited,” co-author Lydia Wileden said. " Connecticut’s mandated reporting makes it a leader among states working to reform their pursuit policies and understand the impact of those reforms.”
The Police Officer Standards and Training Council , which commissioned the study, is expected to submit the findings along with legislative recommendations to the General Assembly’s joint standing committee on Public Safety and Security.
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