Vehicle following a cop?

Question

Let’s say you’re a police officer. You are on a patrol vehicle and noticed that a vehicle is following behind you. What do you do?

Answer 1

I would pull the car over and ask them what the heck they were doing. If I got the answer "just because I can, and it's not against the law"
I could:

-be making sure that the driver has all his/her paperwork in order (and for his/her sake it better be)
-check the vehicle vin number against the ownership
-call the insurance company to see if the insurance if valid
-check the driver for warrants,
-if the vehicle doesn't belong to them I could call the registered owner to find out if the person has permission to use the vehicle
-write down the licence val tag. number and call the ministry of transportation and check to see if the tag number is valid or stolen
-do a vehicle check to see if the wipers/signal lights/horn etc. are working -
-call a traffic unit officer over with a tire tread measuring device and check the tires to see if they are safe

All of this may take a little while, but hey, I get paid by the hour. You want my attention you will get it.

Answer 2

I actually did this when I was younger and not as bright as I would like to think I am now.

It took him 2 hours to notice and another 30 minutes to figure out what to do.
He stopped along the side of the street, and since it was a parking lane, so did I. He got out and approached my vehicle and asked why I had been following him. I gave him the excuse that I was writing a report on 'The Day in the life of a police officer'. He seemed okay with that, but still ran my plate and license.

Unless something has changed in the last 15 years, there is no law against following a police officer.

In this day and age, however, especially since 9/11, people are a bit jumpy about things.

Answer 3

First turn into a crowded area and see if the other car follows you. If it does and you think you might be in danger or there is more than one person in the car, get on the radio and call for back up. Otherwise, cautiously approach the vehicle and question the driver. If the car does not follow you, then go about your business.

Answer 4

Your options are limited by available resources. The easiest thing to do is to call in another unit to pull in behind the suspect vehicle and make a vehicle stop. If another unit is not available, you would need to maneuver in behind it and stop it yourself. Bear in mind that the vehicle following you could be a citizen wanting to ask for assistance, a reporter looking for a story, an Internal Affairs unit that does not know how to do proper surveillance, not so bright kids, or, ultimately, a threat to your safety. It is a situation in which you can't afford to overreact, and yet you can't afford not to react.

Answer 5

pull over to the side of the road, let the vehicle pass, get behind it, and run the tags. Stop it, if there is a reason.

Most of the time, they are going to the same general area as you.

Answer 6

I would pull a Tom Cruise.... "I'm gonna hit the brakes and let him fly right by"

I would slow down and see if he passes me.....if he still goes slow I would pull over or perform a u-turn and fall in behind him. Call for backup and see whaz up!

Answer 7

I would allow the vehicle to follow me

Answer 8

call for a backup unit to stop the car that is following you and see what the situation is.

Answer 9

Most of the time, when I SEE that happening, the
Police take control of the situation and get them
out of the car, and on the ground............................

LOOKING at them working out there, has been
excellent, the Police that I see out on our streets
are good at this.......

THE question is who is following who, because here
the get booked, and dealt with, and I live in South Africa
and I see how they work out there every day, and they
are good.........................................................................

Answer 10

you call for another patrol car to assist you.