WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Almost every day, someone is killed in the U.S. during a high-speed police chase. These pursuits inherently pose significant risks and often demand a high level of driving skill from police officers to mitigate danger.
In Texas, the state mandates a minimum of 643 hours of training for police officers, with at least 32 of those hours dedicated to emergency vehicle training. However, once officers complete their academy training, none of the mandatory 20 hours of annual continuing education is required to be driving training.
Instead, individual Texas police departments have the discretion to determine the frequency and extent of additional driving training for their officers.
While some departments require driving training yearly or every other year, others do not.
For example, the Georgetown Police Department ensures that its officers participate in annual behind-the-wheel training, including mock vehicle pursuit scenarios.