New Zealand Police Pursuits: The Case for Change
Date Published:
December 2003
This review was commissioned in late July 2003 by the Deputy Commissioner Operations. DC Long sought an authoritative study to assess the quality and adequacy of current pursuits policy and practice in the wake of considerable media and public concern over two pursuits in 2003 that ended with three fatalities. These deaths occurred in a short space of time, and contrasted with just six pursuit related deaths in the previous seven years.
The review team undertook a robust examination of all matters relating to police pursuits in New Zealand since the previous review in 1996 (known as the "Gibson Report"). They set out to identify areas of concern, and to provide recommendations for future policy and practice.
To achieve this aim, the review team examined international pursuit literature, legislation and legal matters relating to pursuits, outcomes and factors involved in pursuit activity in New Zealand in the period 1996-2002, developments in the pursuits policy area in recent years, current practices in relation to pursuit management, and current thinking in relation to police driving and driver training.