Dear Editor: Monona should have ended police pursuits long ago. It feels as though every month brings a new report of a Monona Police Department chase.
For a department with a history of impulsive action, high-speed pursuits are a dangerous liability, a culture that starts at the top with the police chief. If the chief chose to spend $8,000 on equipment rather than updating the pursuit policy, despite extensive research on the risks, his leadership must be questioned.
The statistics are clear: 30% of chases end in crashes, and nearly half of those victims are innocent bystanders. Furthermore, the department relies on Lexipol, a company criticized by the ACLU for policies that allow for excessive force. Lexipol has been noted for incorporating “excited delirium” — a medically contested concept — into its guidelines, which critics argue contradicts expert advice and exacerbates aggression…