Nations first high speed chase warning system launches in South Carolina

PursuitAlert, a warning system to notify the public in real time when an active high speed police chase is nearby, announces its launch in South Carolina. The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office became the first law enforcement agency in the nation to have this type of technology. Sheriff Mike Crenshaw said, “Today we are happy to announce that we have a way to warn our citizens when someone refuses to stop for a deputy. While we can control the type of pursuits our deputies engage in through policy, we cannot control the individual that refuses to stop for blues lights and siren. I am confident that PursuitAlert can save lives.”

The Department of Justice estimates there are approximately 68,000 police chases annually in the US. On average there is one death a day with three times as many seriously injured. The financial, economic burden on society is in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

Tim Morgan, President of PursuitAlert, said, “Warning systems are in place and have been very effective for tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, and lighting, yet more people are killed each year from police pursuits than all four of these events, combined. Our goal is to enhance officer and civilian safety through a heightened sense of awareness for a motorist when approaching intersections even though they may have the right of way.” Citizens are also alerted when the pursuit is out of range. Sheriff Crenshaw believes this new technology will reduce accidents, increase officer safety, increase citizen safety, potentially reduce insurance cost, and allow deputies to retrieve items of evidentiary value through PursuitAlert’s additional features.

PursuitAlert is a free app that a citizen can download on their cellphone. If within a two-mile radius of an active police pursuit or emergency response they will receive a push notification and audible alert on their phone.