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Pursuits abandoned By Jaime Pitt-MacKay Jaime.p@theguardian.co.nz
Two-thirds of all fleeing driver incidents in the Ashburton District since January 2014 have resulted in the pursuits being abandoned, and the number of pursuits happening in the district is climbing. Figures released to the Ashburton Guardian through an Official Information Act request show that Police based out of the Ashburton, Methven and Rakaia police stations have engaged in 57 pursuits since
the start of 2014. Of those 57 pursuits, 38 were abandoned. The decision to abandon a pursuit lay in the hands of the officer driving or the communication centre supervisor. In the past six years the number of pursuits have jumped across the district, which Senior Sergeant Leigh Jenkins says is disappointing to see. A total of six pursuits were engaged in throughout 2014, while as of October 2019 there had been 12 pursuits.
2018 represents the worst year for pursuits, with a total of 15 taking place. “What we want every driver or rider to understand is that we can always talk things over at the road side. Fleeing from Police is never worth it,” he said. “Once a driver chooses to flee, what could have been resolved at the roadside by way of education, alternative action, or an enforcement action, is now considered a serious criminal offence. “Not only does it mean you’ve just bro-
ken the law and could now face a criminal charge, you are also risking your life, any passenger’s lives, and the lives of people on the road around you. Just pull over and stop.” Jenkins said everyone should stop when signalled by police.
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