NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Wednesday announced a new police vehicle pursuit policy that she said would “make both the police and the public safer,” reforming a tactic that had been aggressively carried out under previous police leadership.
The new policy restricts police officers to pursuits only in cases where felonies and violent misdemeanors are suspected. They may no longer pursue suspects in vehicles who commit traffic infractions, violations or other non-violent offenses — as had been done previously.
The new rules also note that officers will not receive criticism or disciplinary action for terminating a pursuit for safety reasons.
As THE CITY has reported, vehicle pursuits and related collisions have skyrocketed since late 2022, under the leadership of then-Chief of Patrol John Chell and with the backing of Mayor Eric Adams.
The NYPD has repeatedly refused to provide data on the number of people killed or injured in the course of pursuits over that time period, but THE CITY has identified at least 17 deaths and more than 300 people injured.
“New York is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, and our officers deserve clear guidance and smart protocols when determining whether to engage in a vehicle pursuit on our streets,” Tisch said in a statement. “The NYPD’s enforcement efforts must never put the public or the police at undue risk, and pursuits for violations and low-level crimes can be both potentially dangerous and unnecessary.”
The changes come despite Tisch’s elevation of Chell, one of the main architects of the NYPD’s aggressive vehicle pursuit policy, to Chief of Department.
In his prior role, Chell was unapologetic about the increase in pursuits under his watch, telling reporters in July 2023: “People thinking they can take off on us, those days are over.”
His declaration came in response to reporting by THE CITY showing that there were 625 chases in the first six months of that year — more than the previous five years combined.
More recently, THE CITY revealed that the NYPD was averaging one collision related to a vehicle pursuit per day in 2024 through November.
This equates with 398 vehicle crashes preceded by police pursuits, resulting in at least 315 people injured.
Tisch said the new policy will go into effect in February, following training of all uniformed members of the force.
The policy will include new requirements for supervisors and better record keeping, she said.
NYPD officials revealed for the first time that there were 2,278 vehicle pursuits in 2024, one-quarter of which resulted in a collision, injuries or property damage.
About two-thirds of the pursuits were initiated when cars fled traffic stops, many of which would no longer qualify for a pursuit under the new policy, the officials said.
