Los Angeles
Los Angeles police have been barred from pursuing drivers for minor traffic violations, a move intended to reduce the number of dangerous chases through city streets. High-speed chases have become regular fare on television. In Southern California, 2,000 people pay $5 a month for a pager service that alerts them whenever a chase is being broadcast live. “It’s become a form of entertainment,” Police Chief William Bratton said. Sixty percent of the city’s 600 police pursuits last year began over minor infractions. Bratton proposed cutting back in December, after a string of wild pursuits ended tragically. One killed a 4-year-old girl, and another severed the arm of a baby boy.
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