Herhold: An open letter to the governor

Yesterday, in the Silicon Valley Mercury News, columnist Scott Herhold wrote an open letter to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger urging him to look closely at the California Highway Patrol's pursuit policy. Mr. Herhold's advocacy stems from a pursuit last week that lead to the death of an innocent 15-year-old.

"Given the situation, the adrenaline involved, and the need to make a very quick decision, we don't want to have more variables that could add to bad things happening,'' says John Phillips, the president of PursuitWatch.org, whose sister was killed in a law enforcement chase.

Phillips points out what other agencies have already recognized. There are other ways for officers to handle the situation. In most cases, the police can get a license plate number and arrest the bad guy later.

You can read the rest HERE.