LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A pair of Michigan House bills look to increase penalties for people who flee and elude police.

House Bills 4690 and 4691 would add mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines for fleeing and eluding police.

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According to lawmakers, the legislation would impose the following minimum sentencing requirements:

  • First Degree; minimum five years, up to 15 years.
  • Second Degree; minimum two years, up to 10 years.
  • Third Degree; minimum one year, up to five years.
  • Fourth Degree; minimum 30 days if the offender has a prior fleeing and eluding conviction, up to two years.

Rep. Rylee Linting (R-Grosse Ile Township) spoke Thursday on The Steve Gruber Show about the legislation. “[In] southeast Michigan in general we’re seeing an uptick in people recklessly fleeing from police [and] it is resulting in innocent lives lost.” Rep. Linting added, “People are fleeing from the police for a reason and so this will hopefully prevent this from getting worse.”

While there are laws on the books addressing fleeing and eluding the police, Rep. Linting said judicial “slaps on the wrist” along with no pursuit policies across the state aren’t helping keep communities safe.

“What we are noticing is there are a lot of plea deals happening,” Rep. Linting told Gruber. “It’s the same repeat offenders who keep running from law enforcement. They’re eventually let go and then they commit very violent crimes,” she said.

Rep. Parker Fairbairn (R-Harbor Springs) is also backing the legislation. The northern Michigan lawmaker referenced an accident involving a Charlevoix school bus last spring.  “The coach and members of the Charlevoix High School varsity golf team were severely injured and hospitalized after their van was struck by an SUV driven by someone actively fleeing police,” Rep. Fairbairn said, stating the SUV driver died at the scene.

He added, “Anyone who decides to run from police, regardless of whether they’ve committed a crime, should face significant penalties. Increasing penalties as a deterrent to running is a proactive way we can protect the public and limit these dangerous incidents,” Rep. Fairbairn said.

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The bills are now under consideration in the Michigan Senate.