Unmarked police vehicles for traffic stops...Thought?

[gcmj45acp]

Rules vary from state to state and sometimes between individual municipalities but, some agencies, in efforts they say are meant to catch aggressive drivers or people texting while driving, have taken to using unmarked cars for traffic enforcement. In places where this isn't legal, agencies have taken to "ghost" or otherwise subdued markings that you can't see unless they are viewed under ideal lighting conditions. This is clearly an effort to have an unmarked car without violating the law but, cops would never lie or cheat just to meet a ticket quota.

Whatever you may think of these cars, it raises another issue that has long been a problem. We live in a world where any idiot can buy a new or recently retired, police spec Tahoe or Crown Vic that may still have lights/siren in it or he can buy the gear to install it himself. People being pulled over by these fake badges for the purpose of robbery and worse is not common but, it does happen. What are your thoughts on this and what would you do if you were driving along, having committed no known violation, and suddenly found yourself with an otherwise unmarked vehicle running lights and sirens behind you?

 

[BG1960]

compounded by the fact they don't stick to Tahoes or Sedans.

I watched an old guy in a minivan try to figure out why a Camaro that was lit up like Vegas was tryin' to pull him over in 10 East yesterday.

 

[kyletxria1911a1]

Call 911 inform inquire, then move to a safe place for the encounter,

 

[dustycorgill]

I think I have heard about these instances. If memory serves me correctly I think I saw the police chief being interviewed and stating that if you are suspicious about it, to stay on the road, maintain speed and call 911 to chweck and see if they have an officer reporting an attempted stop on your vehicle. It has been a while, so not sure I have all that correct, but that is the jist of it Im sure.

 

[Dawico]

Drive to a safe area before stopping.

 

[Southpaw]

Rules vary from state to state and sometimes between individual municipalities but, some agencies, in efforts they say are meant to catch aggressive drivers or people texting while driving, have taken to using unmarked cars for traffic enforcement. In places where this isn't legal, agencies have taken to "ghost" or otherwise subdued markings that you can't see unless they are viewed under ideal lighting conditions. This is clearly an effort to have an unmarked car without violating the law but, cops would never lie or cheat just to meet a ticket quota.

Whatever you may think of these cars, it raises another issue that has long been a problem. We live in a world where any idiot can buy a new or recently retired, police spec Tahoe or Crown Vic that may still have lights/siren in it or he can buy the gear to install it himself. People being pulled over by these fake badges for the purpose of robbery and worse is not common but, it does happen. What are your thoughts on this and what would you do if you were driving along, having committed no known violation, and suddenly found yourself with an otherwise unmarked vehicle running lights and sirens behind you?

If you are that afraid of someone impersonating a LEO, slow way down if feasible, put on flashers, use shoulder if possible and drive to a place within a reasonable distance that is full of people such as a gas station or such. Will all LEO's be understanding, maybe not, but if you keep calm and explain your actions AND you don't act like a jackass doing it just to do it, I am sure most will understand why you did so.

EDIT... Seems like others gave you the same answer more or less.

 

[benenglish]

Random comments:

In Cali, Geek Squad had to change their signature paint job on their cars to comply with a state law that prohibits anyone from driving a vehicle intended to deceive people into believing it's a police car.

I've been stopped by someone who may or may not have been a police officer. They probably were but the lack of markings on the vehicle bothers me more now, upon reflection, than it did by the side of the road.

To answer the OP:

My thoughts are that using unmarked cars for traffic stops shouldn't be allowed. However, how do you know? If they're behind you with lights and sirens (especially at night), is it even possible to figure out that the unit is unmarked? Sometimes yes but, I reckon, mostly no.

If I get lit up by a car behind me with permanently installed red flashing lights, I'm going to pull over, turn on my dome light, roll down my window and keep both hands high on the wheel.

If I get lit up by any vehicle with a magnetic cherry slapped on the roof over the drivers head, I'm calling 911, driving to a safe area, and not stopping until marked backup units arrive. (ETA: I can't imagine any agency that would allow traffic stops by cars with no permanent lights. Does anybody know of any jurisdiction where that happens? For an example of why I give no respect to cars without permanently-installed lights, see this: Blue light rapist | Arkansas Blog )

Reasonable?

 

[rushthezeppelin]

Random comments:

In Cali, Geek Squad had to change their signature paint job on their cars to comply with a state law that prohibits anyone from driving a vehicle intended to deceive people into believing it's a police car.
?

I would laugh my ass of if I saw a cop in a ford transit. They are alright as a work vehicle (read good gas milage for a fleet vehicle saving on bottom line) but just would not work to enforce traffic laws.


Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

 

[General Zod]

If I get lit up by any vehicle with a magnetic cherry slapped on the roof over the drivers head, I'm calling 911, driving to a safe area, and not stopping until marked backup units arrive. (ETA: I can't imagine any agency that would allow traffic stops by cars with no permanent lights. Does anybody know of any jurisdiction where that happens? For an example of why I give no respect to cars without permanently-installed lights, see this: Blue light rapist | Arkansas Blog )

Reasonable?

Unmarked cars aren't using the Starsky-And-Hutch-style magnetic light anymore. They have red/blue flashers hidden behind the front grill and installed behind the eyebrow tint in the windshield now - light kits which can be ordered online and installed in almost any car and are difficult to spot when they're not active.

Personally, I firmly believe traffic stops should be conducted only by marked units, even if unmarked units have to call them in. An unmarked (or ghost-marked) car shouldn't be used for traffic enforcement anymore than a plain-clothes or undercover officer should direct traffic.

 

[benenglish]

I would laugh my ass of if I saw a cop in a ford transit.

At the time, Geek Squad used VW Bugs. Even funnier.

 

[benenglish]

Unmarked cars aren't using the Starsky-And-Hutch-style magnetic light anymore.

So I'm old. I can remember when the difference between permanently-installed lights and the magnetic light was simply that the permanent lights were in the middle of the roof.

They have red/blue flashers hidden behind the front grill and installed behind the eyebrow tint in the windshield now - light kits which can be ordered online and installed in almost any car and are difficult to spot when they're not active.

I don't see these as a big problem. What crook is going to go to that much trouble? If they do, how stupid do they have to be to permanently install in their car such strong evidence of their crimes?

I'm just guessing, but isn't the biggest legit market for those kits either for the personal vehicles of first-responders or for private security? In the former case, I'm not too worried. In the latter, private security is (iirc) prohibited from using all the same color of forward-facing lights as LE. That being the case, my biggest concern would be with keeping up with the state-by-state variable answer to the question "What are the official colors in this state?" If you dig into the history of the Blue Light Rapist I previously cited, there was a tragic case where an Arkansas woman was severely abused by police in another state because she refused to stop for their (officially correct) blue lights. In Arkansas, it had been drilled into the public that the real police do not use blue lights to stop cars...but that lesson only applied to Arkansas and the woman in question didn't realize it wasn't a universal truth.

For the record, I don't think stops by fake cops happen often enough for me to worry beyond the basic decision matrix I outlined in a previous reply.

Personally, I firmly believe traffic stops should be conducted only by marked units, ...

I firmly agree.

 

[General Zod]

I don't see these as a big problem. What crook is going to go to that much trouble? If they do, how stupid do they have to be to permanently install in their car such strong evidence of their crimes?

Generally, the fake cop nutburger that used to just buy the magnetic "undercover" light and slap it on top of his car. Still a rarity, but these goons are out there. You hear about one being arrested for making traffic stops from time to time.

 

[TX69]

So that is what that baby shit brown tahoe was the other day. No lie. I had taken a right hand turn with my signal on and a Tahoe hit the gas hard and went around me on the left as we both continued into the right turn. We then both had to stop at the next light 40 yards ahead. The Tahoe had little white looking lights all over it.

There's no way I would have immediately pulled over for that vehicle.

Should I cue the video of the woman that was beaten and tased for not immediately pulling over or an unmarked car?

 

[Southpaw]

Should I cue the video of the woman that was beaten and tased for not immediately pulling over or an unmarked car?

That's the chance one takes. And if you are TRULY in fear of someone impersonating a LEO, then that's a chance most people are going to take.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Latest oddball unmarked vehicle I saw was a Toyota Tundra Sheriffs vehicle.

 

[Sugar Land]

SugarLand has white chargers with white lettering on them. Is that messed up or what?

 

[ZX9RCAM]

At least it's a Charger though, who's seen a Toyota Tundra cop vehicle, lol...

 

[Vaquero]

At least it's a Charger though, who's seen a Toyota Tundra cop vehicle, lol...

Booker, TX.
All 2 of em are Tundras.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

LOL m

 

[Sugar Land]

Both??? WOW