Police chases in NC increase, raising concerns over safety

A crash after a chase involving Garner police overnight is the latest of several recent police chases in central North Carolina.

The number of chases involving the State Highway Patrol has more than doubled in recent years:

• In 2019, there were 454 chases
• In 2022, there were 1,053 chases

Across the U.S., federal data shows deaths associated with chases have also increased in recent years.

Law enforcement leaders said the tactic is often necessary to make the streets safer.

WRAL News spoke with Barbara Mickens last year after her cousin Thaddeus Mickens was killed on his way to work in 2022. Thaddeus was simply a bystander at the crash on U.S. Highway 301 near Intersatte 95 in Kenly. He was 56.

“You don’t have to chase this woman through town,” Mickens said.

At the time, state troopers were chasing after a woman for speeding.

In 2022, there were 24 people killed in chases across North Carolina. Half of those – 12 – were innocent bystanders like Thaddeus Mickens.

WRAL News asked retired law enforcement officer and former Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison if he thinks state troopers use proper discretion when deciding when to chase a suspect.

“Absolutely. Absolutely,” Harrison said. “I believe in … the chase policy, is it dangerous? Absolutely.”

Harrison was a state trooper before he served as Wake County sheriff from 2002-2018. He sees pursuits as a necessary part of policing.

From 2019 to 2022, state trooper-led chases increased more than 130%.

The State Highway Patrol was not available for an interview on Wednesday, but a spokesperson said the agency didn’t see any strong correlations for the increase.

“It’s a hard call to make, and, you’ve got to look at why you’re chasing them,” Harrison said.

The State Highway Patrol’s pursuit policy has 18 pages outlining the difficult decisions. It factors in everything from weather conditions to the danger to the public created by the person they’re chasing.

“It is hard to do. I’m not going stand here and tell you that it’s not,” Harrison said. “The sad part of the chases, it’s not you the trooper or the sheriff or the police officer you’re thinking about or the guy trying to get away from you.

“You’re thinking about you, the family riding down the street.

Harrison said troopers and other law enforcement officers across the state go through rigorous training to try and make this maneuver as safe as possible.

Harrison said he feels the only way pursuits will go down are if penalties go up for fleeing from law enforcement.

Right now, if someone is caught running from police, they could face up to a Class H felony, which typically receives just a few months in jail.