In pursuit of safer chases

Shelbyville police officers simulated vehicle pursuits during a training session last week at the old Walmart parking lot on Madison Street.

Most of the department's officers, who were joined by a police officer from Huntland, practiced on a "street course" marked off by plastic pylons spread across the lot.

The class's purpose was to train officers to stay focused during pursuits, said SPD Lt. Trey Clanton, who teaches similar courses at the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy.

Detective Lt. Pat Mathis drove the "chase car" as officers took turns following.

"The primary car is the first behind the suspect," Clanton said. "A secondary unit will join the pursuit and call the chase."

"Calling the chase" involves keeping dispatchers notified of the chase's location by radio.

Officers were reminded of the importance of successfully multitasking during chases, Clanton said, during which they must talk on the radio and clear intersections while often driving at high speeds.

"This helps them calm down and get back into the game, stay focused on all that's happening around them and not concentrate only on the car (in front of them)."

Officers received radio "calls" in which suspects had been spotted. They chased Mathis around the parking lot twice at up to 40 to 45 mph, while making sharp turns and talking on the radio.

Another unit joined the chases on the second run, concentrating on radio traffic. Signs denoting Shelbyville streets were mounted atop the cones. Officers practiced on radioing their locations while monitoring the lead car.

Shelbyville police receive yearly training in pursuit driving and other law enforcement techniques, Clanton said.