COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) - A bill in the senate is focusing on how South Carolina Law Enforcement should handle high-speed chases. If passed, Lawmakers said the bill would prioritize public safety and ensure high-speed chases only happen if necessary. "Right now, the only thing the law says is that each agency has to develop their own policy. Some policies can be as simple as be careful or, you know, just don't take unnecessary risks," said Senator Darrell Jackson (D - District 21). According to the bill, a vehicular pursuit is when an officer in a marked vehicle, with activated lights and sirens, tries to stop a driver who evades arrest by speeding or driving recklessly. The bill said in most cases Law Enforcement would be required to have a supervisor's permission to engage in a chase. Geoffrey Alpert, a Criminology and Criminal Justice Professor at USC, said the language in the bill needs to be fixed. "It's very difficult for an officer who's in the heat of the chase to consider 42 different variables," Alpert said. The bill also said officers would be allowed to engage if there is probable cause, reasonable suspicion, or they believe the driver is a threat to public safety. Officer J.J. Jones from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Association said chases are important for everyone's safety. "Pursuits in South Carolina are important for the safety of our citizens and for our Law Enforcement. Innocent bystanders are hurt just as often as law enforcement is. So, we need to make sure whenever bad guys or offenders run from law enforcement, they face the charges, and they face felonies. " Senator Darrell Jackson said he's willing to work with law enforcement to find a compromise. "I would be devastated if we lose another innocent life, because we did not have a policy that could be as simple as, I'm chasing behind this person," he said. Other states have already passed this bill, and Jackson said it needs to be a top priority for South Carolina lawmakers. The bill is scheduled to be discussed in front of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee next week. ...read more read less