Oakland eases police pursuit rules, removing speed limit cap for some high-speed chases

by Kiley Russell, Bay City News September 29, 2025September 26, 2025

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Police draw guns on a suspect at the end of a vehicle pursuit. In Oakland, officers will now use speed risk factors to govern whether certain high-speed chases are warranted, said Oakland Police Chief Floyd Mitchell. (Photo illustration by Glenn Gehlke/Local News Matters via YouTube)

The Oakland Police Commission voted unanimously to change the city’s police pursuit policy to allow high-speed chases on city streets under certain conditions.

The policy still only allows chases for violent crimes and crimes involving the use or possession of guns, but does away with a rule that required officers to ask for permission before continuing a pursuit that reached 50 mph.

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Kiley Russell, Bay City News

Kiley Russell writes primarily for Local News Matters on issues related to equity and the environment. A Bay Area native, he has lived most of his life in Oakland. He studied journalism at San Francisco State University, worked for the Associated Press and the former Contra Costa Times, among other outlets. He has covered everything from state legislatures, local governments, federal and state courts, crime, growth and development, political campaigns of various stripes, wildfires and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

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