New York Attorney General Letitia James has released a new report outlining why she thinks high-speed police pursuits should be banned unless the driver’s conduct poses an imminent threat of death.

For minor infractions, police wouldn't engage in a dangerous chase.

The report, titled "Improving Policing and Public Safety: Problems Presented by Police and Vehicle Pursuits," pulled data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) maintained by the Department of Transportation. It found that from 1996 to 2015, an average of 355 people, or nearly one person per day, were killed annually in pursuit-related crashes.

"Millions of New Yorkers take to the roads each day, and they deserve policing and traffic enforcement that is safe, fair, and effective," James said. "The evidence is clear: police vehicle pursuits and high-speed car chases can be dangerous and even fatal, and it is time for a change. We are proposing these reforms to improve public safety for everyone on the road – drivers, passengers, and law enforcement."

The New York Police Department implemented similar regulations earlier this year.

Law enforcement officers tell Spectrum News 1 that while there are grey areas surrounding pursuit policy, they say they always weigh the risks.

Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti says that when determining whether to engage in pursuit, there are a number of things they consider including the time of day, the likelihood of finding the suspect without chasing them and the severity of the crime.

Filicetti said he and his department don’t outright oppose all aspects of these proposals, but he wishes departments across the state could have a seat at the table during these conversations.

“Just to put out carte blanche, these are the two areas that you can pursue, I don’t think covers all aspects of a police pursuit, because basically what you’re doing is saying if you steal a vehicle, and I’ll use that example again, and you take off from the police that they’re not going to chase you. And right now, we’re having that issue.”

In response, Police Benevolent Association of New York State president Lt. James McCartney released a statement Wednesday, saying he disagrees with what it calls "one-sided research" in the report. The PAB argues that the AG's announcement does that mention that is that it is never legally allowable for a civilian to decide they do not want to stop or yield to a police officer's commands toward their vehicle and never legally allowable for a civilian to decide to flee an initiated traffic stop.

"The officers we represent make split-second, life or death decisions every single day," McCartney said. "They do so by balancing many factors, including the seriousness of an offense, their own personal safety and the well-being of the general public. Rather than once again scrutinizing the decisions made by police officers, we urge the OAG and New York's lawmakers to instead consider passing laws which increase criminal liability and penalties for those who flee from lawful traffic stops and investigations."

Police pursuits made headlines in New York last year after an elderly man was killed in a chase in Rochester and a 14-year-old was killed in Buffalo.