BOISE - Police pursuits are some of the most dangerous situations law enforcement officers face--will a new pursuit policy help keep police and the public safe?

Paul Boehlke-KTVB

The way police chase suspects through the streets of Ada County is about the change -- a change that has been years in the making. 

Multiple agencies will now share the same policy - in hopes of avoiding confusion during high speed chases.

There have been a couple of particularly serious police pursuits in Ada County in recent years.     The high-speed chase of Ross McAbee in November 2002 stretched from Canyon County to Ada County and ended in a crash at the intersection of Broadway and Myrtle in downtown Boise. 

When McAbee got out and threatened police with a gun -- officers fired 65 rounds, killing him on the public street.

After the McAbee pursuit, the Boise City Police Ombudsman called for clearer police-chase policies. 

The ombudsman issued that opinion again after a high speed chase in 2003 ended on the Boise airport runway.

It was there - the driver, Milton Sanchez fired two bullets, killing his wife and himself.

The ombudsman's opinion is that officers and deputies followed procedure, but he says they put fellow officers and the public at risk because each agency has a different pursuit policy.   

City police chiefs, state police and the Ada County Sheriff are expected to soon sign on to a new --unified -- pursuit approach.

"This agreement really sets forth fundamentals about who is going to control the pursuit who has the authority to terminate who going to take charge how it's going to be transferred,"  Ada County Sheriff Gary Raney said.  

The idea sounds good to a deputy often involved in the chases--who'd rather have everyone on the same page when in hot pursuit.

"I think it’s an excellent idea because it’s tough when one agency does one thing and another agency does something completely opposite,"   Ada County Sheriffs Deputy Michael Vickers

Sheriff Raney says right now signatures are being collected from all law enforcement agencies in Ada County.  The new pursuit policy is expected to go into effect in two or three weeks.