Research in Brief: Recent Findings on Police Foot Pursuits

Although a substantial amount of research literature exists regarding police motor vehicle pursuits, there has been a relative lack of empirical research on police foot pursuits. However, with exploratory and descriptive studies of foot pursuits in the Richland County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) and the Los Angeles County, California, Sheriff’s Department (LASD), this situation has begun to change.1 More recently, researchers used more sophisticated quantitative methods to analyze correlates of suspect and deputy injuries sustained during 267 LASD foot pursuits.2 The study is important because the dynamics of foot pursuits may be different than other types of arrest situations—and so too may be the factors associated with injury.