House Bill 1387

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE REPORTING OF POLICE PURSUITS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY; TO PROVIDE THAT SUCH INFORMATION SHALL BE PUBLIC INFORMATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) In this subsection, "police pursuit" means an active attempt by a law enforcement officer in a police vehicle to apprehend one or more occupants of a moving motor vehicle, the operator of which is resisting apprehension by disregarding the officer's visual or audible signal to stop his or her vehicle, increasing the speed of the vehicle or extinguishing the lights of the vehicle.

(2) Not later than August 15 of each year, each law enforcement agency shall report to the Department of Public Safety, on a form prescribed by the department, information on police pursuit engaged in during the preceding twelve (12) months by law enforcement officers employed by that agency. Each police pursuit shall be reported by the law enforcement officer to the agency within sixty (60) days of the police pursuit. The information shall include the circumstances of the police pursuit, including the distance, location and maximum speed of the pursuit; the reasons for commencing the police pursuit; and the outcome of the police pursuit, including the number, if any, of the resulting deaths or great bodily injuries and an estimate of the value of any resulting property damage, if any. The department shall collect and maintain information submitted under this section for not less than ten (10) years. Such information shall be public information open for inspection during regular business hours.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2003.