Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says law enforcement will seize vehicles from drivers who flee from the police.
Under the new initiative beginning June 11, if a driver flees in a vehicle they own – police will seize and sell it.
If it is a vehicle they do not own, police will give the owner a written notice of the felony. If it happens again with the same car, police will seize it.
The same thing applies to rental car companies.
However, if the same driver flees again in a car from the rental car company – police will take whatever car they are driving.
Gualtieri says multiple cars run from police every day in Pinellas County – and it’s getting worse — saying “This is real simple, if you own a car and value it, don’t run from the cops. If you own a car and value it, don’t loan it to someone you know that runs from the police.”
Since January 2022, over one thousand people have fled from sheriffs officers.
Gualtieri says that number does not include pursuits in the 10 other police departments in the county.
He says pursuits often result in tragic consequences – especially in densely populated areas like Pinellas County.
