Original Interview: Wellford Mayor - “No more police chases”

The mayor of a small South Carolina town says she banned her police officers from chasing suspects on foot after an officer was injured while chasing a man.
   
Wellford Mayor Sallie Peake said Monday she issued the order in August after the city had to pay for an officer who was hurt and missed work after chasing a “guy who had a piece of crack on him.“ She said the drug possession was not worth the cost to taxpayers.
   
Peake’s decision came after two town-issued cars were totaled within a month, although her order applies only to foot chases.
   
When a WSPA-TV reporter asked her about the policy, Peake would not answer and clapped her hands in mock praise.