Oakland loosens rules on police chases, giving officers more leeway

The Oakland Police Commission this week gave police Chief Floyd Mitchell the green light to allow officers to start a car chase without prior approval from a supervisor and to exceed 50 mph in those pursuits.  Previously, officers were required to get supervisor approval before chasing any suspects and had to abandon the chase if it exceeded 50 mph. Mitchell has been advocating for a new chase policy for the department for over a year. Though he did not need…