Regina police pursuits more than doubled last year due to brazen behaviour, policy shift: report

Regina police were involved in more than twice as many police pursuits last year as in 2017, according to a recent report prepared by the Regina Police Service and one of those pursuits resulted in acharge against an officer.

The report was discussed at Thursday's Board of Police Commissioners meeting. It says police were involved in 46 chases in 2018, up from 20 the year prior a 130 per cent jump. There were 34 pursuits in 2016, the report says.

"There's a lot of moving parts when it comes to a pursuit and the review of a pursuit," police Chief Evan Bray said.

"I think that's a good thing because that allows us to ensure our officers are completely understanding and trained of our pursuit policy."

The police service's pursuit review board, which consists of six officersand a seventh as an observer,reviewed the 46 incidents and found that four of them involved tactics which were deemedinappropriate. Three of those incidents resulted in some disciplinary action for an officer and another had criminal charges considered.

Ten pursuits involved appropriate tactics and were fully policy compliant.

Another 32 were "less than fully compliant" with policy and required additional training.

The report says the increase in the nubmer of pursuits is related to the changing nature of crime, auto theft, drugs and guns in Regina. It's also becausepursuits wererecategorized to include some instances of police evasion, the report says.

In 2018, there were 308 evasions instances where an officer attempts to stop a vehicle and the driver does not do so the report says. That number includes the 46 pursuits, and is up from 279 evasions in 2017, and comparable to 310 in 2016.

The Regina Police Service pursuit review board was asked to use the Saskatchewan Police Commission's pursuit policy last year, which involved changes to some definitions and sections.

Bray said officers today have a tougher job than he did when he was on the streets as an officer.

"The risk is higher and so we need to find ways to provide them the tools to deal with it, and part of that is providing them policies to keep them safe, like a pursuit policy," the police chief said.