Edinburgh Police Department updates pursuit policy to allow PIT maneuvers

EDINBURGH, Ind. — The Edinburgh Town Council has officially approved an amendment to the Edinburgh Police Department’s vehicle-pursuit standard operating procedure, granting officers a new tactic to end high-speed chases safely.

Police Chief Doyne Little presented the updated policy during the September 28 council meeting.

The revised standard operating procedure incorporates the Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT), allowing certified officers to nudge a fleeing vehicle to spin it out during serious felony pursuits. The procedure provides a safer alternative to stop sticks, which have caused line-of-duty fatalities among Indiana law enforcement officers in recent years.

Chief Little, a certified PIT and Emergency Vehicle Operations (EVO) instructor, will personally conduct the department's training. While all officers will be trained on the maneuver, a select group of primary shift officers will handle initial implementations.