Vehicular Pursuits in Washington State
This report to the Office of Financial Management (OFM) from the University of Washington fulfills the study requirements outlined in Section 133(25) of Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5950. The Legislature directed OFM to “contract with a consultant to collect, review, and analyze data related to vehicular pursuits.” The report must include a review of available data on vehicular pursuits and recommendations on what data should be uniformly collected by law enforcement agencies in Washington state for the purpose of policy evaluation.
This report outlines the background for the study and details the methods used for data collection. We obtained data to date from 64 law enforcement agencies (LEAs) accredited by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) in the state and 54 unaccredited agencies. In addition, we have obtained data from the Washington State Patrol (WSP). We asked for data for the period of calendar years 2019–2024 on police vehicular pursuits conducted by the agencies.
