Three Georgia State Patrol troopers and their supervisor have been let go after officers’ hot pursuits reportedly turned into cold cash from fleeing suspects’ auto insurance companies.
News sites around the state reported that an internal investigation found the officers, in the Savannah area, had teamed up with a lawyer to send demand letters to suspects’ insurance carriers, claiming the troopers were injured after pursuing vehicles or performing “PIT” maneuvers—precision immobilization techniques or bumper bumps—that send fleeing vehicles out of control.
The State Patrol office and news outlets reported that the officers’ demand letters resulted in multiple checks from insurers. In most cases, the troopers had not reported injuries at the time and no workers’ compensation injury claims or notices were filed.
“The Department’s Office of Professional Standards conducted an internal investigation which revealed that the troopers had presented a large number of crash and incident reports to an attorney, who sought money for them from available, minimal coverage limits of violators who had initiated pursuits terminated by those troopers,” the State Patrol’s public information officer said in an email. “It was determined that the manner, method, and conduct of these troopers in making such claims violated the department’s policy and ethical standards. The troopers involved were fired for their wrongdoing.”
The insurer checks were for as much as $25,000 each, from which the attorney took a fee, the Atlanta Journal Constitution and local TV news stations . The demand letters did not mention that the claimants were state troopers, or that any injuries may have been covered by workers’ compensation insurance, the AJC and other sites reported.
The insurance companies involved were not named. It’s unclear if the officers will face criminal charges, civil litigation, or further insurance fraud investigations. The Georgia Office of Insurance Commissioner is monitoring the case, news sites .
The scheme apparently came to light in January after a State Patrol sergeant overheard two troopers talking about how a vehicle chase will “get you a check,” news sites noted. One officer involved told department investigators that the scheme was seen as a way for officers to supplement their paychecks, the AJC reported. The attorney involved has not been named.
“The actions of these few individuals do not reflect the core values of professionalism and trust that define our agency,” the Patrol said in a statement. “The Georgia Department of Public Safety holds its troopers’ and officers’ conduct to a high standard. Our integrity defines us as an organization and drives our mission of providing accountability in our public safety efforts.”
The checks-for-pursuits scheme raises new questions about what the newspaper called the Patrol’s “aggressive pursuit culture.” An investigation by the news site recently found that the department had an unusually high number of high-speed pursuits that had resulted in injuries and deaths to passengers and others.
Photo: A Georgia State Patrol vehicle in Waynesboro (AdobeStock)
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