Unmarked Police Cars... Getting Sneakier?

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fbrdphreak

Lifer
Apr 17, 2004
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Originally posted by: pontifex
aren't the license plates marked different too (like has government or something on the plate) or do they use regular license plates now?
In NC some of the Highway Patrol unmarked cars have regular NC plates that start with SHP (i.e. State Highway Patrol)
 

Unheard

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2003
3,774
9
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Check this one out from Pinellas County, FL. It's a sheriffs vehicle for traffic enforcement.

Pic 1
Pic 2

The tonneau doesn't come up until he hits the lights, so you can blow by him w/o ever noticing.
 

Nyati13

Senior member
Jan 2, 2003
785
1
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Originally posted by: LoKe
No hubcaps -> Undercover Cop.

A lot of cop cars around here have styled steel rims that look like OEN cheap-o aluminum rims. No more hubcaps to knock off.
 

0roo0roo

No Lifer
Sep 21, 2002
64,795
84
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Originally posted by: Brainonska511
Originally posted by: kyzen
The problem with the proliferation of unmarked cars is that now the average joe with a nice-ish looking car can pose as a cop. About 3 years ago this happened 2 blocks down from my then-girlfriends house; a guy posed as a cop with lights on his car and everything, pulled over a 19 year old girl, and killed her. It was all over the news in Colorado and neighboring states for a little while.

That's bad, but you can always remember, if you are unsure if the car that is pulling you over is actual cop, you can call the police to determine if it is a real cop. Also, in my area at least, unmarked cars must have a fully uniformed officer within it.


course thats just like a costume for a criminal.
 

krunchykrome

Lifer
Dec 28, 2003
13,413
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Originally posted by: ThunderLew
So I was coming back to work from lunch and saw a silver Impala pull over a lady. Only this Impala was completely stripped of any police badges. The blue and red lights were in the grill and the turn signals and the plates looked like they were missing the (XMT) and had real tabs (most police in my area don?t have tabs).

I have also heard, but not confirmed that police in my area are starting to hide as taxi cabs. They already have some pretty stealthy Suburbans.

Has anyone else seen some of these real undercover cars?

Uh, where have you been? Around here, (Baltimore/Washington area) we have undercover mustangs, Tahoes, Suburbans, Explorors, Expeditions, Camaros, Impalas, Intrepids, etc
 

deadlyapp

Diamond Member
Apr 25, 2004
6,676
749
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Theres a gorgeous black tinted cobra here in WA that is the street racing undercover detective. Pulled over my friends boss who was revving at a stoplight in her 3000gt.
 

fbrdphreak

Lifer
Apr 17, 2004
17,555
1
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Originally posted by: deadlyapp
Theres a gorgeous black tinted cobra here in WA that is the street racing undercover detective. Pulled over my friends boss who was revving at a stoplight in her 3000gt.
:Q That's fawking hawt

EDIT And wtf was a woman doing revving her 3000GT at a Cobra :confused: Silly women
 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,284
1,998
126
Here in Connecticut they use anything and everything. Unmarked cruisers, Camaros, Mustangs and SUVs are common. Their latest trick is to use orange DOT trucks as radar points and to have the chase cars further up the road. The "hide in plain sight" method is very effective, few people think twice about seeing an orange truck parked on the shoulder.
 

ThunderLew

Member
Oct 8, 2004
102
0
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Originally posted by: pontifex
aren't the license plates marked different too (like has government or something on the plate) or do they use regular license plates now?


I have known about most of the unmarked cars and the tell tale signs. One being the license plates. If they don't have tabs... then they are a govt car. Now it looks like they are actually putting tabs on and doing other things since most people can spot an older undercover car.

What I was trying to ask other AT'ers if they have seen other sneaky things.

Another example is cops are using volvos and mustangs.
 

NikPreviousAcct

No Lifer
Aug 15, 2000
52,763
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Originally posted by: joshsquall
I've seen a marked state trooper get off at an exit so everyone sped up, and he then got right back on the highway and pulled over 3 people at once.

HAHAHAHAHAHA DUMBASSES! :beer::D:beer:
 

bradruth

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
13,479
2
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Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
Originally posted by: bradruth
I've worked in a number of unmarked cars. It has it's pros and cons.
Pros and cons like...? I'm curious

Pro: You see a lot more and therefore can do a lot more.

Con: The restrictions on certain laws regarding plainclothes/unmarked work and the fact that some people won't stop until they see a marked unit.
 
Jun 19, 2004
10,860
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Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
Originally posted by: deadlyapp
Theres a gorgeous black tinted cobra here in WA that is the street racing undercover detective. Pulled over my friends boss who was revving at a stoplight in her 3000gt.
:Q That's fawking hawt

EDIT And wtf was a woman doing revving her 3000GT at a Cobra :confused: Silly women



Yeah, I totally forgot that my brother told me there's a guy who's dedicated to driving a blue cobra mustang for speed enforcement at his P.D. department. He told me if I ever saw the guys Ford Ranger pickup truck at the station (which I drive by a good bit) that the blue cobra would be out and about.
 

fbrdphreak

Lifer
Apr 17, 2004
17,555
1
0
Originally posted by: ThunderLew
Originally posted by: pontifex
aren't the license plates marked different too (like has government or something on the plate) or do they use regular license plates now?


I have known about most of the unmarked cars and the tell tale signs. One being the license plates. If they don't have tabs... then they are a govt car. Now it looks like they are actually putting tabs on and doing other things since most people can spot an older undercover car.

What I was trying to ask other AT'ers if they have seen other sneaky things.

Another example is cops are using volvos and mustangs.
"tabs" ? :confused:
 

AdamSnow

Diamond Member
Nov 21, 2002
5,736
0
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Originally posted by: LoKe
No hubcaps -> Undercover Cop.

So if I go put crappy rims with no hubcaps on my SRT-4 I'll be an undercover cop?

Sweet! I'll pull you over and give you a ticket for being an IDIOT.
 

fbrdphreak

Lifer
Apr 17, 2004
17,555
1
0
Originally posted by: bradruth
Pro: You see a lot more and therefore can do a lot more.

Con: The restrictions on certain laws regarding plainclothes/unmarked work and the fact that some people won't stop until they see a marked unit.
If they don't stop for an unmarked unit, but do for a marked unit, does that get them in more trouble or no?

What kind of restrictions are there for plainclothes/unmarked?
 

Frosty3799

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 2000
3,795
0
0
Unmarked cars are no longer allowed to pull people over for regular traffic offenses in New York State, because a few years ago some high-up government official (mayor or something?) in Watertown was using his government plates and dash-mount light to pull over what he considered to be attractive females, scare them a little, and get a free frisk in before letting them go...

Sad someone would abuse their power like that.
 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
8
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Originally posted by: Baked
If you ain't breaking the law, why should you care what the hell cop cars look like?
Peope with this mentality piss me off. That isn't how it works.

 

zanieladie

Diamond Member
Jan 19, 2003
3,280
1
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Originally posted by: jagec
They are getting sneaky...time was, it was all Crown Vics, totally unstealthy. Now they use anything and everything.

I got pulled over once by a sedan with a big For Sale sign in the window. Didn't see THAT one coming.



WOW! A "For Sale" sign...that is REALLY sneaky!
 

Homerboy

Lifer
Mar 1, 2000
30,890
5,001
126
Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Unmarked police cars have been around for years. You just get your eyes put in or something? :p

- M4H

Exactly.
Lights in grills? Umm 1992 maybe?