What do americans think about unmarked police cars used to catch speeders?

Question

I have noticed a trend lately in the police community to use cars that look like regular cars (shows nothing that it is a police car) to catch people speeding. I believe it is a bad idea for anyone could get flashing lights and sirens from radio shack and pretend to be a cop. It is giving crimminals a chance to commit fraud while pretending to be police. I also believe it is a step towards having a secret police in the US and that is not a good thing. Ever.

The idea if you don't do anything wrong, don't worry is false. Innocent people get harrased by police and I have seen it and experienced myself first hand. Not all cops are good guys.

What I am getting at is police looking like average people will make it easier those who are crimminals to pose as undercover agents who happen to have plainclothes and unmarked cars.

I agree with the final guy that the person when they pull you over must be in uniform. However, I have seen in these unmarked cars plainclothes police walking out to give a ticket. This is what I disagree with. For in the short run, yes it will get results, however in the long run, crooks will pose as such people and the general population will begin to trust the police less as the result of this.
I seriuosly hope you understand what I mean.

To those who say if you did not break the law, dont worry about a thing is not accurate. KBG were a form of secret police and those who they sent to the labor camps were not guilty of any real crime, but of speaking out against the current person in charge of the country. Think about it.

Answer 1

the use of unmarked police cars for traffic enforcement , is a very effective tool . and are used just for that reason so you don't know who we are , or if we are behind you , the only requirement for the use of a non marked vehicle in PA is the officer MUST be in uniform . and display his ID if asked by the motorist

in regards to a plained clothed individual stopping you . if a person in plain clothes aproaches you . DO NOT roll your window down and keep your doors LOCKED , if u have a cell phone call 911 . i do not care if this person even shows a badge . if they are not in uniform do not listen to them , there is not a court in this country going to find you guilty of anything for trying to protect your self . if you can drive your vehicle to a 7-11 or other safe location .
i can't think of any officer that would pull you over with out being in uniform , but hey as you know there are nut cases out there . BE SAFE

Answer 2

i agree.
it's bad because criminals can easily pose as police now and abduct people/steal from them/kill them/etc. but if an unmarked police car asks you to pill ovr there are ways to be sure it really is a police officer.
this is an email i recieved about a week ago:


YOU MUST KNOW *77
I knew about the red light on cars, but not the *77. It was about 1:00
p.m. in the afternoon, and Lauren was driving to visit a friend. An
UNMARKED police car pulled up behind her and put his lights on. Lauren's
parents have always told her never to pull over for an unmarked car on
the side of the road, but rather to wait until they get to a gas
station, etc.
Lauren had actually listened to her parents advice, and promptly called
*77 on her cell phone to tell the police dispatcher that she would not
pull over right away. She proceeded to tell the dispatcher that there
was an unmarked police car with a flashing red light on his rooftop
behind her. The dispatcher checked to see if there were police cars
where she was and there weren't, and he told her to keep driving, remain
calm and that he had back up already on the way.
Ten minutes later 4 cop cars surrounded her and the unmarked car behind
her. One policeman went to her side and the others surrounded the car
behind. They pulled the guy from the car and tackled him to the ground.
The man was a convicted rapist and wanted for other crimes.
I never knew about the *77 Cell Phone Feature, but especially for a
woman alone in a car, you should not pull over for an unmarked car.
Apparently police have to respect your right to keep going to a safe &
quiet place. You obviously need to make some signals that you
acknowledge them (i.e. put on your hazard lights) or call *77 like
Lauren did.
Too bad the cell phone companies don't generally give you this little
bit of wonderful information.
*Speaking to a service representative at ** Bell ** Mobility confirmed
that *77 was a direct link to state trooper info. So, now it's your turn
to let your friends know about *77.
Send this to every woman (and person) you know; it may save a life.

Answer 3

No speeding = no problem.

Anyway, my city uses dark unmarked cars... at least from afar. Up close, you can see the police markings, as they are dark lettering on dark paint.... but the lettering is still visible... just not from afar.

I think it's a great idea!

**EDIT** Your comment that some innocent people get harassed by some bad cops has no relevance to your question. Innocent people get harassed by bad people all the time, regardless of how the police conduct their business. That's why we have police in the first place. It's sad when there are bad cops. It's sad when their are bad teachers. Let's just face it. Bad people suck.

**EDIT** Criminals are selfish jerks who will do whatever it takes to get what they want, even if all they want is to kill other people. As it is, criminals disguise themselves as teachers, airplane pilots, lawncare workers, mothers, fathers, politicians, and all manner of other folks. THAT is why we need undercover police hanging out in all manner of places to protect us from the criminal fakers. If I am ever pulled over by an unmarked police car, and an average looking Joe gets out of the car... not wearing a police uniform or other identifier, then I will only crack my window and ask to see a badge, before I comply. I'm almost positive that, given the circumstances, that would be reasonable to the police.

If the person wanting me to step out of the car refuses to show me a badge, then I will use my cell to call 911 and request a policeman at the scene. If everything's A-Ok, I'll get busted big time for being a jerk... if not, well, I'm sure the faker will flee before real police arrive.

I am more in danger every day from speeders on city highways than I am of criminals waiting to play cop.

Answer 4

I speed everywhere, except school zones and construction. I am usually 5 to 10 MPH over any posted speed limit. I have been told by more than one cop friend that they won't typically even look at you till you are 8 MPH over the posted speed limit, on hwy's it is 10 over the posted speed limits, some places, like the LA area it is possible to be doin 10 MPH over the posted and have folks, including cops, passin you as if you were crawlin. I was told by one friend that he tickets everybody that is over 12mph over the posted limit.
if you stay in this range you will likely never get another ticket, it has been 25 years since I have had a speeding ticket.

what I think about unmarked cars is irrelevant, they aren't gonna ask me if they should use them anyway......

so there it is, use these rules and you likely will never have many tickets.........

Answer 5

If you believe the Police are out there to prevent violations then Marked Police Cars would be the answer. Reality is that violations are one of the few ways Police Work can be quantified, so management sets "quotas"

Sort of like Cameras enforcing traffic signals. Sounds like a good idea BUT Cameras cost money. So what happens when there are not enough violations to pay for the cameras.
SO they shorten the yellow cycle to increase the numbver of violations. That makes the intersection more unsafe than it was before the cameras were installed

Answer 6

People will see a black and white police car with a lightbar miles and miles away, they won't give a second look to that dark green 1998 Dodge Intrepid.

As for people pretending to be cops, they all get caught sooner or later. You can't get flashing lights and sirens from radio shack. A proper police officer will be uniformed or have something else readily identifying him as a police officer, and there are still always marked black and white units with uniformed officers that can come by to prove their identity.

Answer 7

Indiana law requires an officer to make a traffic stop either in a marked police car or an unmarked while in full uniform.

Answer 8

The only people that have any reason to fear "secret police" are the ones who are guilty of something. Normal law abiding people like myself think it's a great idea and would probably greatly reduce the crime rates everywhere.

Answer 9

I would agree in saying that I don't think it's a good idea. The only reason I think this though is because I don't want to be pulled over by a police officer in an unmarked car myself.
I know its not the exact same thing, but in Washington D.C. we have speed camera's and the law requires that there be signs warning people of them. With unmarked police cars there is no warning to people who are speeding.
Just my view.

Answer 10

I think unmarked cars are good, and they might just catch
some people doing more than speeding. Which speeding is bad too, causes a lot of wrecks and deaths.