SPOKANE -- Spokane police have been dealing with a huge spike in stolen cars recently, close to 50 a week. Many of the thieves are getting caught on the road. But instead of pulling over, they're taking off, leaving police with the tough choice to whether or not to engage in a dangerous pursuit.
Spokane police have been involved in at least five pursuits in the last two weeks. In many cases, the suspect is running for no good reason. On November 11, officers try to pull over a stolen vehicle in North Spokane. But the driver takes off eventually crashing into a utility pole. Hours later, police are near Nevada and Rowan trying to stop Michael Bridges after watching him peer into cars and jiggle door handles. He too takes off, going 60 in a 30 mile per hour neighborhood. Worried about other drivers, officers end their pursuit almost immediately. But Bridges slams into a car carrying a mother and child. Officer Ryan Snider tracked Bridges down on foot. Bridges reason for running and causing so much damage is he was scared and didn't want to get caught.
Over and over again, officers say they're having to choose whether or not to pursue a fleeing suspect. Most are in stolen cars or were recently released from jail. John Rovik was out for two weeks when the convicted car thief led officers on a pursuit across the state line. It took spike strips and a P.I.T. maneuver to knock him off the road. Simply stopping would have saved vehicle damage and time.
Officer Snider says one reason so many stolen cars are ending up in pursuits is because more and more people are leaving their cars running and warming up. About six are stolen every morning.
"It only takes a bad guy literally five seconds to take your car," says Snider.
Snider also says officers will still catch their suspect even if they have to end a pursuit because it only takes a few seconds to run a license plate.
