History of the PIT

[gabriel]

Does anyone know when the California Highway Patrol began using the P.I.T. maneuver? While doing research I find dates varying from the 1970s and the 1990s.

I know that the P.I.T. was developed by BSR Inc,. but I know that when CHP began using it a lot of law enforcement agencies followed. Any info on this would be great.

Thanks!

[PapaBear]

From Wikipedia:

History

The PIT was originally popularized in the 1970s by BSR Incorporated, an advanced driver training school in Summit Point, West Virginia.[citation needed] Tom Milner, a BSR co-owner at the time, brought the technique from Germany, where it was in use by the German Police. The technique was translated from a German book titled The Hunter and the Hunted.[citation needed] PIT gained popularity during the 1990s, and the technique was refined so as to reduce the violent ramming called for by earlier variations. A variation was already in use by the Secret Service since 1965 for VIP protection during motorcades.[citation needed]

The Bump & Run technique used in Auto Racing is strongly related to the Police PIT maneuver and may predate it.[citation needed]

The first law enforcement agency to teach PIT as a technique to halt fleeing vehicles in Virginia was the Fairfax County Police Department,[1] which modified the parameters for initiating and executing the technique for police use. Terry Pearson and Joseph McDowell were the first law enforcement officers to incorporate the technique into training. Terry Pearson named it the "Precision Immobilization Technique" or P.I.T. Police departments throughout the United States including the San Bernardino Sheriffs in California have come to believe that, executed properly, PIT is an intermediate force option that can safely end a pursuit. Police vehicles often have reinforced bumpers to support this technique.

The CHP's use of the PIT started in the late 80s - or thereabout. Beyond this information, the use of the PIT by the CHP is a policy and procedure issue that should not be discussed iin a public forum.