Halifax police union president says officers decide in the moment whether to give chase

The president of the association that represents hundreds of police officers in the Halifax Regional Municipality says individual officers make the decision to pursue suspects following a high-speed chase that tore through a residential area in Fleming Heights, N.S., on Sunday.

Dean Stienburg of the Halifax Regional Police Association said in an interview on Tuesday pursuits are "generally left to the discretion of the officer to make the determination as to whether or not to pursue in a particular given instance."

"There are a million factors that go into that," Stienburg added, "and the officers would, hopefully, take into consideration as much of those [that] they're aware of."

On Sunday, residents on Randolph Street witnessed speeding police cars pursuing a truck that was reported stolen in Pictou County before it made its way to Halifax.

Residents in the area later expressed concerns about the chase, saying cars whizzed by at an estimated 100 km/h down a residential street where kids were playing just minutes before. 

The pursuit also took the suspects and police across the grounds of a local school.

A 39-year-old man was arrested after the stolen vehicle became wedged between a fence and a building. During the chase, two officers suffered minor injuries and lawns and some police cars were damaged.

Now, some residents are calling on police to offer more information about the protocols for deciding whether to pursue a suspect in a vehicle.

When asked about the chase on Tuesday, Attorney General Brad Johns said he wasn't aware of the details, but he sees no issues with Halifax police releasing their pursuit policy to the public.

Lindell Smith, councillor for Halifax Peninsula North and the chair of the Board of Police Commissioners, said in an emailed statement he would not comment on the chase, but did say the board does not decide "when and when not officers should chase."

"As the board goes through the policy refresh with HRP, I am sure that the board will keep this specific operational policy in mind, and after review if there is a need to make aspects public facing as others will be, I think that will be an opportunity for the board to comment," Smith said.

Neighbours call out Halifax police for high-speed chase

2 years ago

Duration 2:15

Residents in Fleming Heights say they're troubled by the potential safety risks taken by Halifax police during the high-speed pursuit suspect in a stolen car that tore through their neighbourhood on Sunday. Preston Mulligan has the story.