Your thoughts?

[Belmont31R]

Our local PD has been running ghost markings more and more. Won't pull over for one of them myself. Not a regular problem for me but only regular fully marked squad cars should be pulling people over.

[Dead Man]

My thoughts: I'm surprised to see a longstanding member post something like this on this board. You know it will be inflammatory, divisive, watched closely, and closed the minute it inevitably turns ugly.

You can use your time any way you want, I just wonder why you bother.

[kwelz]

My thoughts: I'm surprised to see a longstanding member post something like this on this board. You know it will be inflammatory, divisive, watched closely, and closed the minute it inevitably turns ugly.

You can use your time any way you want, I just wonder why you bother.

^^This

Unmarked cars are important. But I know around here they are very much in the minority. State police has a number of them for traffic stops but all the local PDs only have a couple. All the other cars are very blatant as to what they are. One PD has switched to black Chargers but the markings are bright yellow and white.

[Belmont31R]

My thoughts: I'm surprised to see a longstanding member post something like this on this board. You know it will be inflammatory, divisive, watched closely, and closed the minute it inevitably turns ugly.

You can use your time any way you want, I just wonder why you bother.

As I said my local PD is running ghost marked cars more and more. It's a security concern because criminals have been posing as cops for decades and I'd like opinions on how that is handled.

If you instantly take offense to that then that is on you. I was based out of Germany for 4 years so I'm well aware of what that image means.

[Belmont31R]

^^This

Unmarked cars are important. But I know around here they are very much in the minority. State police has a number of them for traffic stops but all the local PDs only have a couple. All the other cars are very blatant as to what they are. One PD has switched to black Chargers but the markings are bright yellow and white.

Blatant cars aren't an issue. I don't see how unmarked cars or ghost markings are legal for traffic stops.

[Irish]

I prefer BMW's

Unless they're undercover types doing their thing I don't think police, highway patrol types, should be rolling low-pro. If the objective is to get people to obey traffic laws then they should be a visible presence, which is much more of a deterrent.

[Belmont31R]

I prefer BMW's

Unless they're undercover types doing their thing I don't think police, highway patrol types, should be rolling low-pro. If the objective is to get people to obey traffic laws then they should be a visible presence, which is much more of a deterrent.

We saw an officer trying to control an intersection because of a stalled vehicle. She was in the new Explorer. White, with silver markings. Had a hell of a time. These ghost markings come into play besides traffic stops.

[Irish]

There's no way to tell if that car is Johnny the Rapist or a legit police officer. And I hate the people who drive around decommissioned cop cars! Specifically the ones who have spotlights still on them, tinted out windows, and the only way to tell the difference on some of them is the license plate due to not being exempt.

[No.6]

We've got the "ghost" cars around here too. Plenty of them. See four or five a day at a minimum. I understand the "reasoning" behind them. Don't necessarily agree with it. IMO better to be well marked and act as a deterrent, than as an "aha gotcha". But this city is well known for it's love of revenue generating measures.

[Dead Man]

As I said my local PD is running ghost marked cars more and more. It's a security concern because criminals have been posing as cops for decades and I'd like opinions on how that is handled.

If you instantly take offense to that then that is on you. I was based out of Germany for 4 years so I'm well aware of what that image means.

It seems like an answered question, to me. There has been a lot of media attention over the years, and I think it's pretty well established that if you're being pulled over by a low-profile cruiser, you can take steps to protect yourself. Drive to a more public and better lit area to pull over, call dispatch/911 to verify the officer is legitimate, etc. You know low-profile cruisers are out there, you know they're becoming more popular across the country. I don't see how this can be anything other than proverbially kicking rocks around in resent for die Oberherren.

You know your options: get on with your life peacefully, thankful you live in a safe, clean, prosperous society, made so largely by the efforts of those you (resentfully) pay to make it that way; or become an activist and start a legitimate movement to use the political process to effect the change you think is needed. If your vision is accurate, you'll have lots of support.

Or, option 3... bitch on the internet.