Wasilla PD equips with mobile spikes to prevent high-speed chases

March 11, 2010

Some Wasilla police officers are now qualified to train other officers around the state to use the mobile spike device. (Dan Carpenter/KTUU-DT)

by Lori Tipton
Wednesday, March 10, 2010

WASILLA, Alaska -- This may look like a high-speed police chase, but it's actually just a training run.

Wasilla police are practicing how to use a new device mounted to the front of their cruisers called a mobile spike. It's aimed at preventing high-speed chases before they even start.

"We're here to do an Arctic field trial to make sure that our unit functions perfectly in these types of conditions," said Michael Moormeier, the president of Pursuit Management, Inc.

Pursuit Management, Inc. is a company in Washington that created the mobile spike.

The device allows an officer, from within the safety of his or her vehicle, to push a button and disable a nearby vehicle by deflating its tire.

From start to finish, it takes about six seconds for the spike strip to eject.

"Well I'm thoroughly impressed with it so far. I certainly would like to have the ability to stop vehicles if somebody wants to try to get away without putting the rest of the public in danger," said Jentry Crain of Wasilla Police.

Three years ago Crain was involved in a high-speed chase with a reckless driver.

"She led me on a pursuit reaching speeds of 110 miles an hour," Crain said.

"She went across the median and struck another vehicle head-on. This unit would've prevented that; very clearly would've prevented that," he said.

Crain says high-speed pursuits tend to cause lawsuits and also that police are criticized for chasing but are also sometimes blamed if they don't catch unruly or reckless drivers.

"Until now, we've been between a rock and a hard place. This will help alleviate that so that we can do our duty without putting the public in extra danger, if the individual doesn't want to stop," Crain said.

Using the mobile spike, police can engage the reckless driver and disable their vehicle quickly to slow down a chase or stop it altogether.

Moormeier says the goal is to increase safety for both police officers and the public.

"We're just trying to offer a better, safer, faster tool for law enforcement because it's long overdue," he said.

Wasilla Police Department equipped five of its cruisers with mobile spike units.

A few of its officers are now certified to train other officers across the state on how to use the device.

Contact Lori Tipton at ltipton@ktuu.com

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