[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 159 (Wednesday, November 12, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2336]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTION OF THE POLICE PURSUIT AND RESCUE SUPPORT ACT

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                       HON. CAROLYN C. KILPATRICK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 12, 1997

  Ms. KILPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, today, along with Congressman Martin 
Frost and Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald, I am introducing 
the Police Pursuit and Rescue Support Act. This legislation is very 
simple: it will allow for our financially strapped police departments 
to utilize Department of Defense helicopters and other equipment to 
pursue felons or rescue citizens.
  High-speed police pursuits are an unfortunate consequence of the very 
difficult job that our local police officers must do everyday. In 1996, 
377 persons nationwide were killed as a result of these high-speed 
pursuits, with 107 of these fatalities being occupants of other, 
uninvolved vehicles or innocent bystanders. Two persons in my 
congressional district have died as a result of these high-speed 
pursuits this year. Their deaths inspired me to seek a reasonable and 
workable solution to this challenge. Helicopters have been shown to be 
a more cost-effective and efficient device in high-speed pursuits. 
However, the high expense to purchase and maintain a helicopter is 
prohibitive to many local police departments.
  The Police Pursuit and Rescue Support Act will allow local police 
departments to utilize helicopters or any other equipment from the 
local Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard branch to pursue 
fleeing criminals or rescue citizens. Upon the submission to the 
Department of Defense of high-speed pursuit and rescue guidelines by 
the local police department, the Department of Defense will make 
helicopters and other equipment available, with a pilot and maintenance 
person, free of charge, to the local police department. This would be a 
mutually agreeable arrangement: the local police department and the 
local Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Navy base both must conclude 
that this arrangement is practical, feasible, and financially 
responsible.

  The Police Pursuit and Rescue Support Act is a voluntary program that 
allows local police departments to draft their high-speed pursuit and 
rescue guidelines, submit these to the Department of Defense, and upon 
approval of these guidelines, work with their local branch of the 
Department of Defense to establish exactly how, when, and where this 
emergency equipment would be used. Each local police department would 
have the flexibility to design and develop their own high-speed pursuit 
guidelines. As a former elected Michigan State legislator, I am 
sensitive to mandates in a one-size-fits-all fashion coming from 
Washington, DC, and stringently avoided any such prerequisites in the 
Police Pursuit and Rescue Support Act.
  Finally, this bill will make Department of Defense equipment 
available for the rescue of citizens. Many of our cities have high-rise 
office buildings that are inaccessible by the longest hook and ladder 
fire trucks. There are those accidents and catastrophes that are only 
accessible by the high technology, advanced vehicles available to our 
armed services.
  It only makes sense for our financially strapped police departments 
to have access to that equipment, already paid for by taxpayer dollars, 
to safely pursue criminals and rescue citizens. My bill gives local 
police departments the flexibility to design policies that will protect 
citizens, police officers, and save taxpayers untold sums in wrongful 
death lawsuits.

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