Fleeing Driver Policy

Question 1

What is the Fleeing Drvier Policy?

Answer 1

Signaling a driver to stop is one of the most dangerous activities that Police undertake daily and may be the beginning of a fleeing driver event.

Question 2

Why does the Fleeing Drvier Policy exist?

Clue: 2x provided

Answer 2

1. The purpose of this Policy is to guide staff decision making around signaling a driver to stop, and in the event of a fleeing driver, how to achieve the safest possible outcomes.
2. Safety is the PARAMOUNT consideration.

Question 3

How does the Fleeing Drvier Policy work?

Clue: 4x provided

Answer 3

1. The decision to signal a driver to stop, to commence, continue or abandon a pursuit must be justified by a continuous TENR risk assessment.
2. The over-riding principle when applying TENR is that ‘safety is success’.
3. The TENR risk assessment must balance the:
   a. Initial threat posed by the vehicle occupant (s)
   b. Necessity to immediately apprehend the driver and/or passenger (s)
   c. Risk of harm to any person if the driver fails to stop or remain stopped
4. Each fleeing driver event will be reviewed to determine whether the decision was:
   a. Appropriate
   b. Lawful
   c. Justified, considering all the circumstances
   d. Compliant with Police Instructions
   e. Whether there are lessons to be learnt and applied

Question 4

What are the “Overall Principles” regarding the policy?

Clue: 3x provided

Answer 4

1. Safety of the public, vehicle occupant (s) and Police staff takes precedence over the immediate apprehension of a fleeing driver
2. All staff share a collective responsibility to achieve the common purpose of ensuring the fleeing driver event is managed as safely as possible
3. Staff may be criminally liable if their manner of driving contravenes legislation

Question 5

Police actions on the job: “Decision to stop a driver”?

Clue: 3x provided

Answer 5

1. Vehicle stops are unpredictable.
2. As part of your ongoing TENR risk assessment, you must consider:
   a. The initial threat posed by the vehicle occupant (s)
   b. The necessity to immediately apprehend the driver and/or passenger (s)
   c. The risk of harm to any person created by commencing a pursuit
3. If the information available indicates a driver is likely to flee, the Emergency Communication Centre should be advised of:
   a. The reason for wanting to stop the driver
   b. The intention to signal the driver to stop
   c. Whether a pursuit is going to be initiated if the driver fails to stop

Question 6

Police actions on the job: “Driver fails to stop after signaling”?
Clue: 2x provided

Answer 6

1. All drivers who fail to stop, or fail to remain stopped, after being signaled to do so, will be managed in accordance with this policy.
2. That a driver fails to stop or remain stopped for Police is not in itself sufficient reason to commence a pursuit.

Question 7

Police actions on the job: “Decision to not pursue”?

Clue: 2x provided

Answer 7

1. A decision to not pursue or to abandon a pursuit will be supported.
2. Radio protocol:
   . Comms (call sign) driver failing to stop. Not in pursuit. Please enter a field event and K6.

Question 8

Police actions on the job: Radio protocol for “Decision to pursue”?
Clue: 3x provided

Answer 8

1. Comms (call sign) in pursuit. Initial reason for signaling the driver to stop. (Direction) on (road).
2. (Call sign) from Comms. Abandon pursuit now. (Reason for abandonment). Acknowledge.
   OR
3. (Call sign) pursuit acknowledged. Comms has command. Safety is our priority. Acknowledge.

Question 9

Police actions on the job: Radio protocol for “Abandoning a pursuit”?

Answer 9

1. Comms (call sign). Acknowledge. Light and sirens off. Stationary (location).

Question 10

Responsibilities after a fleeing driver event - “Initiating unit driver and/or constabulory passenger”.
Clue: 4x actions

Answer 10

1. Requests the Emergency Communications Centre to enter and/or result the fleeing driver event either K6 or K9.
2. Completes the relevant sections of the Fleeing Driver notification before the end of shift.
3. Creates and updates a NIA investigation file before the end of shift.
4. Where a Health and Safety incident or near miss has occurred, a MyPolice incident or near miss must be recorded before the end of shift.

Question 11

Responsibilities after a fleeing driver event - “Dispatcher”.
Clue: 1x action

Answer 11

Enters a CARD event for the fleeing driver event and ensure this is resulted either K6 or K9.

Question 12

Responsibilities after a fleeing driver event - “Pursuit Controller”.
Clue: 2x actions

Answer 12

1. Completes the Emergency Communications Centre section of the Fleeing Driver notification before the end of shift.
2. Debriefs with Emergency Communications Centre and district staff to identify areas for improvement and reinforce good practice.

Question 13

Responsibilities after a fleeing driver event - “TDD Deploying Officer”.
Clue: 1x action

Answer 13

Completes the TDD section of the Fleeing Driver notification before the end of shift.

Question 14

Responsibilities after a fleeing driver event - “Supervisor (Level 1 Review)”.
Clue: 6x actions

Answer 14

1. Hot debriefs with Emergency Communications Centre and District staff to identify any areas for improvement and reinforce good practice.
2. Ensures the Fleeing Driver notification and NIA records are completed before the end of shift.
3. If any staff member is unable to complete the notification, or they have been involved in a pursuit resulting in the serious injury or death, the Supervisor should complete and approve on their behalf.
4. Reviews the Fleeing Driver notification to ensure compliance with policy and legislation, within 5 days of the report being submitted for review.
5. Ensures health and safety reporting has been completed if required.
6. Ensures an investigation has been commenced to identify the Offender and hold them to account.

Question 15

Responsibilities after a fleeing driver event - “District Reviewer (Level 2 review)”.
Clue: 6x actions

Answer 15

1. Reviews the Fleeing Driver notification to ensure compliance with policy and legislation within 5 days of the report being submitted for review.
2. Reviews the Emergency Communications Centre audio recording.
3. Reviews any ASU footage in conjunction with an ASU representative in compliance with the Photography (forensic imaging) Policy.
4. Identifies and effectively manages or escalates any health and safety risks, training issues, systemic issues or lessons learnt.
5. Ensures all fleeing driver events have a corresponding NIA record.
6. Complies with any national review process.

Question 16

What are the “Subsequent fleeing driver events post-abandonment”?

Answer 16

1. Permission must be obtained from the pursuit controller before:
   a. Signaling the driver to stop, and if permission is obtained,
   b. Commencing a pursuit in the event the driver fails to stop or remain stopped.
2. Permission will only be given in circumstances where the threat posed by the vehicle occupant (s) and the necessity to immediately apprehend the driver and/or passenger (s), outweighs the risks created by the pursuit.
3. If permission to signal and pursue is granted, the pursuit controller must communicate a clear plan and tactics to resolve the fleeing driver event should the driver fail to stop or remain stopped. Urgent duty driving post abandonment is unlikely to be justified in any other circumstances.
4. Any subsequent pursuit with a vehicle or driver of a previously abandoned pursuit is a new event.
5. When a pursuit has been abandoned and a subsequent pursuit is not authorized by the pursuit controller, all units will redeploy to normal duties or as otherwise directed.