Dear Jim,

     On behalf of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, I would like to thank you for all of your efforts in helping to make our streets safer for the community.

     I’ll never forget the day that we met in Sheriff Kevin Beary’s office.  I, like most law enforcement officers, was very close-minded about changing our pursuit policy.  I saw our responsibility to catch “the bad guy at all costs” as a high priority.  I came to the meeting armed with a gun and you came to the meeting armed with considerable information and determination.  Though I still carry a gun, I am now armed with the same information and determination you brought to our agency on that fateful day.

     Several years ago we updated our policy to discontinue pursuits of stolen vehicles.  Many law enforcement officers complained that it opened the door for car thieves to escape justice and more cars would be stolen.  In fact, just the opposite happened.  Stolen car crashes went to ZERO and our capture rate soared sky-high! We simply re-evaluated the old way of catching criminals and started “Auto Trap”.   The police mentality that the “bad guys” will always run if they know that we can’t pursue is nonsense!  We disproved that theory years before when we decided not to pursue traffic offenders.

       If every law enforcement officer could walk in the shoes of someone who has lost a loved one because of a police pursuit, then they would truly understand.  Chasing a criminal for property crimes in today’s world does not make sense.   Even if you do catch them and no innocent person is hurt, the perpetrator will still get out of jail before you finish your arrest paperwork!  If we take the oath to “protect and serve” to heart, then we must rethink what our priorities are.    Risking our own lives and that of our citizens to chase non-violent criminals does not make sense.

      I am truly grateful for your help in developing our new pursuit policy.  Your dedication and expertise was invaluable to our committee members.  I also must thank your wife, Patti, for her understanding and strength.  Your sacrifices due to personal tragedy will undoubtedly make our county a better place to live. 

     My main hope is that every law enforcement agency in the United States takes a serious look at their own pursuit policies.  In the meantime, I will always be available to speak with anyone concerning safer pursuits, thanks again, to your persistence and strength.  You are an inspiration to us all and I hope a friend of mine always.

Sincerely,

Chief Steven H. Jones

Orange County Sheriff’s Office

407-254-7340