Police Commissioner Andrew Coster (file image). Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Police are using new rules to decide whether to pursue a fleeing driver in a change to a "more aggressive" policy.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said the new framework balanced safety of officers, the driver and vehicle occupants, and the public with the equally significant need to hold offenders to account.
The announcement came after Coster confirmed in November police would revise the policy, saying changes introduced in 2020 had seen an increase in drivers fleeing events and a decrease in the number of offenders identified.
"This will enable the front line to initiate more pursuits than they have in the past couple of years," Coster told Midday Report.
Up to 2020 police had pursued about 70 percent of drivers who fled, and following the change that proportion had halved.
"It's certainly more aggressive than we've had for the last two years, which has been extremely conservative.
Coster said he did not regret the conservative policy, which was based on the best information at the time and in response to "significant public concern" about safety.
"However, since then we have been able to demonstrate that when we are less likely to pursue people are more likely to flee and there's risk inherent in that whether or not police are behind them at the time."
The 2020 policy had also resulted in improved safety as well, so the difficult balance for police was striking the point that allowed the best outcome, he said.
"The amendments to the fleeing driver policy bring police back to a more balanced position in these volatile, unpredictable, and high-risk events," Coster said in an earlier statement.
"Offenders have become more brazen and are taking more risks in their driving behaviour."
"It's certainly more aggressive than we've had for the last two years" - Police Commissioner Andrew Coster
A new Fleeing Driver Framework to help staff with determine whether the immediate risk of safety posed by the fleeing driver justified a pursuit was being used.
It factored in the threat posed by the driver or occupants, the seriousness of an offence suspected to have been committed by them, and the risk of them committing ongoing offending, harm or victimisation.
"The clarity our staff will obtain from the refreshed policy enables police to address these trends when drivers refuse to pull over when instructed, while acknowledging that risk and safety of all involved must always come first."