Overview
- The Common Council, which delayed a Tuesday vote, has rescheduled a full council vote on the Fire and Police Commission’s pursuit recommendations for July 31.
- The commission wants to bar officers from starting chases for reckless driving after an attempted traffic stop, require officers to end chases that raise public risk, and force release of body- and dash-camera video within 15 days when a pursuit causes death or serious injury.
- Police Chief Jeffrey Norman formally rejected the recommendations in May and a council committee previously voted against them, so the proposal faces institutional resistance inside City Hall.
- City records show nine people died in police chases in 2025 and the commission says four of those deaths would have been restricted by its proposal; the department already removed speeding as a sole basis to start a chase in February.
- Final approval depends on the city attorney’s revised ordinance language and whether two-thirds of the council will back the changes, a process that will shape transparency rules and how officers weigh public risk before pursuing vehicles.