KENT, Wash. — More crime and an aggressive policy to catch suspects in the city of Kent resulted in a jump in police chases in 2018, according to the Kent Reporter.
The paper reported there were 119 chases compared to 87 in 2017.
Kent Police Department Chief Rafael Padilla told the Reporter, “I think it's a direct correlation to the number of vehicle thefts and other related crimes we are seeing in the area.”
Padilla also said, “We are working very hard to address our property crime issue, particularly vehicle theft and commercial burglaries, and when we find these suspects in vehicles they attempt to flee from us in their vehicles more often than not."
In a pursuit report from Padilla, more than 57 chases were for traffic infractions and traffic misdemeanors.
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