There has been a lot of controversy lately regarding high-speed chases between law enforcement and criminal suspects. The controversy stems from recent studies that police chases result in at least one death per day, whether the victims be police, fleeing suspects or innocent bystanders.

All too often we see instances on the local and national news of spectacular high-speed pursuits ending in horrifying crashes. The addition of cameras in many police cars has added to the visibility of high speed chases.

The most recent case happened this past summer in Pleasant Hill, a suburb of Des Moines. A Polk County Sheriff’s deputy was attempting to stop two individuals suspected in the theft of some lawn mowers.

The officer tried to stop the small black pickup but the driver fled. The chase reached speeds of over 90 mph, and ended in one of the most grisly crashes this writer has ever seen. The small, black pickup approached the intersection of a county road and Highway 163/University Avenue, one of the busiest roads in central Iowa. The light was red, but the truck did not stop.

It crossed the intersection and was met broadside by a flatbed semi at approximately 60 mph. The light truck twisted and disintegrated on impact. Both occupants of the vehicle were killed immediately. The stolen lawn mowers were found over 50 yards from the point of impact. The scene was replayed countless times over local as well as national newscasts.

It was a most sobering scene.

A couple of days after the incident, the mother of one of the suspects said she was hiring a lawyer and was going to sue the Polk County Sheriff’s Department. She said it was the pursuing deputy who caused the death of her son.

Herein lies the problem with police chases: some think it is the fault of the police that people are sometimes killed in these accidents.

I couldn’t disagree more. In a society where criminals are receiving increasingly more rights, some are saying police shouldn’t be chasing people. They say chasing suspects forces them into dangerous situations. But, the deputy did not force the suspect to steal those mowers, nor did he force them to drive 90 mph to elude arrest. They committed suicide when they decided to cross that intersection, and they made that choice, not the deputy.

What are the police supposed to do if they can’t chase suspects? God forbid some liberal locality prohibits the police from chasing suspects. The criminals would have a field day, robbing and killing citizens, then running like the wind. Scary as that sounds, there are some cities restricting the police’s ability to stop suspects in high-speed chases.

Once again we have another case of taking the blame away from the criminal and using someone else as a scapegoat. That poor person was scared by the big, bad policeman. Please!

No one is forcing these people to run. When a police officer turns on his or her lights and siren, the driver has a responsibility to pull over in a safe and expedient manner. They teach that in drivers’ ed class, folks.

If you think you committed a crime or not, when you run you are breaking the law anyway. You ought to be chased and arrested if you are dumb enough to run from the cops. If you are thinking of trying to get away from the police, remember this: you can’t outrun a radio or a helicopter.

When someone tries to drive away, they are either breaking the law and trying to get away or ignorant of what the police are trying to do when you get pulled over.

For those of you who are breaking the law and trying to get away from facing the consequences, you get what you deserve and no one should have any sympathy for you.

For those of you who don’t know why you are getting pulled over, there are many books out there that give suggestions on what to do during a traffic stop. Read them.

For instance, when you are pulled over the officer will not step out of the car and ask in a thick German accent, “I voud like to see yur paprs.”

A stop will go as well or as poorly as the driver makes it. If you act accordingly, you have nothing to fear and should have no reason to run.

Remember that the police may pull a vehicle over if they have probable cause a crime is being committed. If someone is running, that’s a huge indicator that the suspect most likely is breaking the law.

Getting pulled over is a bit intimidating, but the fact is there is reason for getting pulled over. Do it and save your grumbling for later.

The police don’t like these chases any more than other people do. Sure, we like watching Ponch and Jon go after the bad guys in CHiP’s, but the reality is most policemen and policewomen would rather not spend their day treating Lincoln Way like the Monaco Grand Prix. They have a job to do just like anyone else. Let’s not make it more difficult by hamstringing them with silly anti-chase laws.

If we placed the responsibility for these chases on the suspects instead of the police, maybe we would see fewer people running, and could leave the hot pursuits to Officers Poncharelli and Baker.

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Robert Zeis is a senior in finance from Des Moines.