DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Only Channel 9 went along with Daytona Beach police to show why it's so hard for officers to catch car thieves, even if they spot the criminals on the run.
Chief Michael Chitwood's department has a no chase police, which the chief says is a good thing due to safety concerns.
During Channel 9's exclusive ride along, officers sped after two stolen cars, but both times, the officers were forced to let those drivers flee.
"You still have to remember, you have to protect yourself and the community and if it gets too crazy, you have to, you have to abort the chase," said Chitwood.
Chitwood said his agency is working on a way to catch criminals without hot pursuits, but the plan is still under wraps.
In the meantime, detectives will keep using forensics, surveillance video and the county helicopter to track car thieves down.
Car thefts here have dropped 24 percent since 2009, but more than 360 cars were still stolen last year, records indicate.
Chitwood also believes the courts need to get tougher on suspects, who are sometimes as young as 15.
"The underlying story here is the juvenile justice system in the state of Florida is broken," said Chitwood. "They have decriminalized everything, and they turn them over to their parents. It is catch and release."
Until police open up about the new plan to combat car thefts, they said you should know nearly half of car thefts are a result of people leaving their keys in their car.
Officials said the no-chase policy isn't set in stone and that some chases are necessary when a suspect is considered dangerous.
WFTV
