Police Impersonator Arrested After Pulling Over Off-Duty Officer

msnbc ^ | Jan 7, 2008 | WRC-TV

[GovernmentShrinker]

You’re assuming a lot here. The real cop probably stopped because she immediately knew the car stopping her wasn’t legit. She was presumably armed and well able to take care of herself. Quite likely she had already called it in by the time she actually pulled over for the guy.

And I think many if not most states already have stopped using unmarked cars to make stops. The procedure is that the unmarked car gets identifying information and location/direction of the car and calls for a marked car to pull it over. No state requires anyone to stop immediately in a remote location for a police car (marked or unmarked) with flashing lights. They all advise something like the procedure outlined in this article — put flashers on, drive slowly to the next place you can pull off into a well-lit populated location.

[rdl6989]

Reminds me of the show “America’s Dumbest Criminals”

[FoxInSocks]

For one thing, because police use unmarked vehicles for interdiction. That’s a big No-No.

Unmarked vehicles should be used *only* for surveillance.

saved unmarked vehicles for observation instead of interdiction

Unmarked cop cars should be used for undercover surveillance, not interdiction.

So what you're saying is unmarked vehicles should be used only for surveillance. :-)

[thefactor]

so you're taking the actions of a criminal and turning it into an indictment of the entire law enforcement system. ridiculous. unmarked cars are imperative for a number of operations. traffic control being one of them. the officers in unmarked traffic control cars, however, should be in uniform.

word to the wise, if you are suspicious about being pulled over by a fake cop, drive until you get to a well lit, public area and stop there. no real cop will blame you for that.

[Dasaji]

Someone flashes blue lights at you, you have to stop or else endure a world of pain.

Don’t those blue lights have to have a little bit of red in them? I thought blue was for volunteer firemen and such...

[basil]

I’m sure the female officer was armed, as I wish most women were. I’d absolutly love to see more women toting!

[Ezekiel]

[thefactor]

i assume it was a single blue lashing light on the dashboard. real unmarked police cars have single red lights, but they are pretty difficult for civilians to get. marked police cars have red, white, and blue light bars on top of their cars. but it varies from dept to dept. but all police vehicles have to have some red in them. if it ain’t red, don’t stop until you get to a well-lit public area.

[RDTF]

I’m thinking you may be right... blue and white lights? Sheesh.

[Dasaji]

if it ain’t red, don’t stop until you get to a well-lit public area.

Thanks, that’s what I thought.

[ThomasThomas]

I knew a sheriff who was pulled over by a safety policeman. Their main job is to provide traffic escorts for funerals. Usually they ride motor cycle and wear a uniform. When the sheriff was stopped on the freeway he was off duty and not wearing his uniform. He was a fun loving like of guy and also knew from the uniform what the this guy was not a policeman. The barney want to be came up and started to write him a ticket, The sheriff started asking question, how long has the department been use that model of cycle, is that a new style of uniform. After a warning ticket Mr. Barney told the sheriff “You should consider joining the police you seem very interested in the work.” This was when barney was told the rest of the story. The sheriff was not in the city where he worked so he used the guys own handcuffs to cuff him to a sign and called the local police to come pick him up and left him on the side of the road.

[Onelifetogive]

So what you're saying is unmarked vehicles should be used only for surveillance. :-)

I just have one question. If unmarked vehicles are not to be used for interdiction, then what should they be used for?

[IIntense]

Thanks for your input, Gov. Hope I’m never in the situation but I know I sure as hell wouldn’t want to stop. Between having a legitimate cop haul me into the station versus risking rape and/or death, I’ll take the pokey.

[pepperdog]

Total Agreement!

[capt. norm]

but all police vehicles have to have some red in them. if it ain’t red, don’t stop

That is incorrect for most states.

Here in Panama City, FL. the city cops use blue lights only for a 10-50 or an emergency. The sheriff's cars use red & blue on some units and blue only on the remainder.

All the unmarked cars here have blue only, just above the rear-view mirror mount and a pair of blue strobes in the 'corners' of the rear window.

All the state officers (Highway Patrol, Game & Fish, D.O.T. (roving nightmares to truckers) use blue exclusively.

This varies a lot from state to state.

[eyedigress]

After “motive” is discerned this scum needs to meet “real” justice behind the walls.

[eyedigress]

Tennessee has only Blue. Red is reserved for Ambulance.

[org.whodat]

I do believe that Tennessee unmarked cars only have blue lights. But no female should ever stop for a cop, or make believe cop, unless it is an area with people. We have three cops in jail not fifty miles from where I live for gang rape of a minor.

[thefactor]

from wikipedia:

"Police agencies may use red, blue, or both, depending on the state, along with white and amber as optional colors. Some police cars have an amber traffic-control stick, or "arrow stick", behind the lightbar to direct traffic left or right around the vehicle; these usually have 6 or 8 rear-facing lights that flash in sequence."

[robomatik]