Are car chases more common in Los Angeles than anywhere else in the nation?
If so, why? TAD FRIEND: Someone drives away from the cops in Los Angeles County about fifteen times a day—much more often than anywhere else in the country. There are several reasons for the prevalence of “pursuits.” First, L.A. has a strong car culture. Its residents spend so much time in their cars that they’re like second homes, and nobody likes to be told what to do in his own home. Second, the county has some twenty-two thousand miles of highways and streets, and this gives a suspect the illusion of endless escape routes. Third, local police forces have been much quicker to initiate pursuits than many municipal forces. (In Baltimore, for instance, pursuits have been banned for decades.) And then there is Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca’s theory: “We have more idiots here than anywhere else.” Your piece isn’t just about the frequency of pursuits in L.A.; it’s about the frequency with which they are televised, and the way they have become part of the city’s entertainment. How
