This, among other things, was the result
of an automobile chase involving a 17
year old youth and a score of law
enforcement officers earlier this month,
it began in North Dallas and after
reaching speeds of 100 miles an hour
across a two county area, it ended
here near Lake Lewisville.
Amazingly, there was but one slight
injury. Now, following our report
on the incident, a concerned viewer
wrote, I was sitting at the signal light
in Dallas when the great chase occurred.
The speeds were astronomical, as
were the chances that were being taken
since the pursuit was only becoming more
dangerous. My question is, why
was this procedure continued to
many chances in lives were at stake.
We were very lucky no one was killed.
To find out just how the Dallas Police
Department handles such situations.
We talk to the man in charge first.
We prohibit more than three vehicles from
being in the chase at one time, and one
of those vehicles should be a supervisors
guard.
Second part of the policy says that the
helicopter will go into the air as soon
as the chase begins.
And it can handle a very major part of
it, can keep sight of the fleeing vehicle
better.
We do prohibit also on our policy the
establishment of roadblocks
and do not allow officers to try to stop
the other vehicle with their own car.
And then finally, we give the supervisor
on the scene the responsibility for
determining if the chase should be
continued or whether it should be
stopped.
Another letter we received wasn't a
complaint or a question, but
a plea, a plea to help in the
fight against what Elvie Freeman says is
a curse against the state and
the nation.
Alcoholism.
Mrs. Freeman cites information from the
Texas Commission on Alcoholism, which
indicates taxes collected on alcohol
exceed some 200 million dollars
yearly, while the losses attributed
to alcohol abuse stretch into
the billions.
She writes, What a terrible price
we're paying because of alcohol abuse.
This is a cause of higher costs and
higher taxes, not counting the
death and suffering broken homes,
motherless and fatherless children.
Another correspondence we received
regarding economic matters.
Granted, these are some pretty tough
times, but one of our viewers dropped us
a note about what he thought was
overdoing it a bit.
Steve Cooley wrote us after returning
home from weeks on the road as a
salesman, I turned on your news program
and found you took exactly six minutes
out of 14 to report on layoffs
and unemployment.
That's 43 percent of your news
section.
Steve went on to say, part of the total
view the public takes on a recession is
attitude.
Why does the news media keep shoving
these so-called human interest stories
down our throats day in and day
out?
If you've been following our action news
letters segment.
You're aware that we ask a question of
the week and invite your responses.
This week, we're asking which
public figure would you nominate
to be Person of the Year for 1981?