Liliy Jimenez and Cinithia Fernandez questioned law enforcement after a police pursuit ended in their Durham neighborhood on Sudbury Road, which is also near a school.
"I think it's just dangerous. There are a lot of kids, mostly around," said Fernandez.
Wake County deputies initiated three pursuits on Wednesday. Two of them crossed county lines into Durham.
"You never know what could go wrong," Jimenez said.
One of the chases happened early Wednesday morning on I-540 East near Falls of Neuse Road. Deputies said they attempted a traffic stop. The driver initially stopped, then fled. The pursuit continued from I-540 to US-70. The vehicle crashed into a ditch near Sherron Road in Durham.
The second chase happened around 12:15 p.m. near Poole Road and Grasshopper Road.
In that chase, deputies said they attempted to stop a driver with outstanding warrants, but the driver fled. The driver struck two Wake County Sheriff's Office vehicles on Spectrum Drive near Knightdale and was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
The third chase on Wednesday happened around 1:40 p.m. Deputies tried to stop a driver at Louis Stephens Drive and Morrisville Parkway after they spotted a reported stolen vehicle. That ended in the Sudbury Drive neighborhood in Durham.
ABC11 asked the Wake County Sheriff's office to explain the department's decisions for three chases in one day.
"For a stolen car, that is a felony. However, we take a lot of factors into play. No. 1, the time of day, the weather conditions, and the amount of traffic that's on the road," said Lt. David Bradford with the Wake County Sheriff's Office. "Look, if it's 5 (p.m.) on Capital Boulevard, where you're going to hear, the deputy that's chasing or you're going to hear a supervisor more than likely, hey, cancel."
ABC11 took a look at the Wake County Sheriff's Office Pursuit Policy. It shows that the level of threat to the public is considered during the initiation and continuation of a chase. Non-violent offenses represent the lowest priority.
But drivers suspected of serious felonies such as homicide and armed robbery pose an immediate threat to the public. The policy states that they should be apprehended as quickly as possible.
Bradford said even in those cases, the public safety remains a priority.
"Are people out there? Kids playing in the neighborhood? Of course. Of course. All those things factor into a decision whether we're going to continue with the pursuit or not," Bradford said.
But we've seen these pursuits get dangerous, even deadly, through the years. ABC11 spoke with Dr. Roy Taylor, who is a police procedure expert, and shared some of the risks.
"Statistically, 66% of police pursuits end in crashes, 76% of the violators are injured. And 21% are the general public who are injured. So almost a quarter of the people who get injured are just innocent civilians," said Taylor.
Stay on top of breaking news stories with the ABC11 News App
Taylor has worked for multiple law enforcement agencies during his career. He said there is a fine balance between catching criminals and keeping the public safe in the process. He said good training could make a difference in the outcome.
"You have to have a culture in the organization that says, you know, we're going to be safe. If it's too dangerous for the public, for us to continue the pursuit, you need to break it off," Taylor said. "Don't get so tied up in it and get that adrenaline pumping and focus on this chase and allow yourself to get into that danger zone where you're running 100 miles an hour in a residential area or in a school area, then the likelihood of something bad happening is too great."
Jimenez and Fernandez said they want every scenario considered before a chase reaches their neighborhood again.
"They should be more aware. Mostly going into a neighborhood," Fernande said.
Bradford said that in his 25 years of law enforcement, he has canceled a chase many times if the conditions were too dangerous.
He said that it is a common practice with the Wake County Sheriff's Office, whether it's the deputy in pursuit or a supervisor making the call.
ABC11 is tracking crime and safety across Raleigh, Durham and in your neighborhood