Law enforcement officers risk their lives chasing criminals in high-speed pursuits.

Senator Harri Anne Smith announced the introduction of a new bill last week that would change the penalty of starting a chase from a class a misdemeanor to a class C felony.

The bill was mentioned last year but did not go through.

Dothan Police Chief John Powell thinks it will reduce the number of car chases.

“If they know there is a stricter penalty attached to fleeing from law enforcement, hopefully they will not do it. Is it going to eliminate car chases? No; we are still going to have some, but it gives us the tools to address the ones who do flee from law enforcement so we can put them away longer in jail to prevent them from doing this frequently," said Chief Powell.

If the bill passes, it could bring a possible sentence 1 to 10 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.