SLOW CHASE Due to recent modifications in police regulations in Southern California,TV viewers can no longer look for a death-defying high speed auto chases. Fox News has been quick to realize that the new, slower, more dramatic and more easily handled news events has been doing well.
The new "actuality" - the new "realistic" feature - will do very well and can easily view with the artificial realism studio-produced to this point.
Some time this morning, in Ventura, California, a man seems to have tried to push a woman into his van. There a mild scuffle with others and the man left in a hurry. Witnesses were unsure if he had taken a hostage or not. Yes, someone insisted he had a gun. He had threatened to kill a bystander. Most thought he went "that-a-way" - toward the nearby freeway.
The old-fashioned high speed chase was almost automatic at this point, but not in this case. Police , alerted, centered on the white van in the freeway traffic, and helicopters, called in to the area found their target and from that point on the TV viewers and the police had front seats at the drama.
Police originate the story line. The network has to be alert to be alert and ready to follow the action from the front rows of the drama even as it starts. with the help of the police squad cars an d helicopters every effort is made to provide the viewers with front row seats. The new pursuit allows the initial runner to set the pace. The objective it to maintain a steady association and not infringe in any way on the precise area with sought after participant occupies. The driver of a escaping vehicle is un-impaired in his flight. He will, in such a situation, be forced to make decisions and those in pursuit know that and are ready to take every advantage of such a revelation of his intent. In a normal chase other police cars might be dispatched to "head him off at
the pass" some point of special stress ahead on the highway in use. In being forced to make such decisions chances are that a run away will make some poor choices.
The new "slow chase" system will save live. Heretofore, a high speed chase in traffic infested city streets was a sure invitation to disaster for people who were not in any way concerned with the actual events in progress. Criminal and police personnel will be safer, as well. In time, Fox and others will learn to make these occurrences profitable. This freeway chase hit a week after a tower jump threat in Atlanta, Ga. and in each case there ha the TV people held back on informational material during periods and maintained some dramatic impetus by revealing facts and figures along the way.
On a handful of viewers seem to have noticed another dramatic change which took place during the chase. Few noticed that the police cars following the runaway changed to trucks - fully armored - each containing a trained, experienced SWAT team. It was four such trucks that put an end it all.
A.L.M> June 7, 2005 [c536wds]
