Wyandotte Police Chief Archie Hamilton says Michigan’s current mix of laws and enforcement policies is turning traffic stops into a recurring high-speed problem across Downriver, with drivers deciding it is worth the risk to run from police.
What used to be an occasional chase has turned into a routine headache, Hamilton told state lawmakers, with some repeat offenders now taking off from officers “five or six times a month” instead of just a few times a year.
Hamilton pressed legislators to support House Bill 4690, arguing that many suspects “know they either won’t be pursued or will often receive probation if caught” and that predictable, tougher penalties could change that math. As reported by FOX 2 Detroit, he told a House committee that the proposal would take probation and plea deals off the table for fleeing and eluding and replace them with mandatory jail time.
What House Bill 4690 Would Change
House Bill 4690 would rewrite Michigan’s fleeing-and-eluding statute to add mandatory minimum jail time and tougher driver-license penalties. According to the bill text, fourth-degree offenses would carry mandatory terms that start at 30 days and can reach up to 2 years, while first-degree fleeing that results in a death would bring 5 to 15 years behind bars, along with license suspensions and revocations. The measure passed the state House in October and was sent to the Senate for further consideration.
Legal Implications
Supporters say mandatory minimums would bring consistency to sentencing and discourage people from taking off again and again. Critics counter that the plan strips away judicial discretion and could swell jail and prison populations in lower-level cases without delivering much extra safety.
Safe & Just Michigan submitted written testimony opposing the bill and pointed to research indicating that simply lengthening sentences often has limited impact on whether someone chooses to commit a crime.
Law Enforcement's Case
Backers of the legislation, including bill sponsor Rep. Rylee Linting and Chief Hamilton, highlighted recent local chases and dashcam footage in House Judiciary Committee testimony as they argued that stronger penalties are needed to keep the public safe.
A Michigan House Republican summary of the hearing recapped Hamilton’s description of multiple pursuits that jump from one jurisdiction to another and his call for clearer, tougher consequences that he says are necessary to hold repeat fleeing drivers accountable.
Policy Context: Pursuit Rules And Safety Trade-Offs
The fight over House Bill 4690 is unfolding after the Michigan State Police tightened its own pursuit policy in March 2024, limiting troopers to chases where there is probable cause of a life-threatening or violent felony. Local departments have their own pursuit rules, some of them stricter than in years past, which police chiefs say can leave officers watching dangerous drivers speed off.
Hamilton and other supporters argue that if frontline officers are more restricted in when they can pursue, then stiffer penalties after the fact become one of the few remaining levers to discourage drivers from flooring it in the first place.
The bill cleared the House in October and is now waiting in the Senate. Hamilton told FOX 2 Detroit he is hopeful a senator will push it toward the governor’s desk. If lawmakers move it forward, both supporters and reform advocates say the final outcome could reshape how Michigan balances public safety, pursuit policies and sentencing discretion.
