"Police! Follow this van" stickers

[cdrx]

Collective,

POLICE
Follow
This Van

I have seen these signs on the back of G4S vans and more recently Royal Mail vans. Are they a request or a threat?

[cdrx]

[rpguk]

I was curious about this too. Someone posted on another thread that it was to do with if they were being pulled over, in which case follow the van to a police station.

[hyperblue]

Clearly just a deterrent. "Look here you crims, don't blow the bloody doors off, the rozzers are near".

Unless you think that whilst being robbed the van driver runs to the back of the van and slaps on a sticker?

Edited by hyperblue on Friday 6th November 23:39

[jdbecks]

hyperblue said:

Clearly just a deterrent. "Look here you crims, don't blow the bloody doors off, the rozzers are near".

Unless you think that whilst being robbed the van driver runs to the back of the van and slaps on a sticker?

Edited by hyperblue on Friday 6th November 23:39

yeah but the alarm will signal that the van is being hijacked, and the kind operator for the police will inform the secruity company that an officer is not available untill 3pm the following day.

a few days later a polceman on his bike will cycle to the secruity companys depot, and give them an air freshner!

Edited by jdbecks on Saturday 7th November 00:25

[mybrainhurts]

[thinfourth2]

cdrx said:

Every time i see that sticker i always think "Well stop driving like a complete tube and they might stop following you"

[The Riddler]

I have also seen ones which are a bit more straight forward..

"POLICE: If you see this van been driven between xx00hrs and xx00hrs please follow"

Or words to that effect.

[Tim Horton]

Personally I would only follow this van if it was going to the doughnut shop.

[mrmr96]

hyperblue said:

Clearly just a deterrent. "Look here you crims, don't blow the bloody doors off, the rozzers are near".

That's what I'd always believed - it's a deterrent to potential robbers as it suggests that there might be an unmarked unit not far behind which is keeping an eye on things.

I suspect that more than 99% of the time there is no undercover police car following the van. I have no evidence to back this up.

[kwk]

It's an instruction to the Police who want to speak to the driver, to follow the van to a police station. They will not stop and open the van in case of bogus police cars/officers.

[oldsoak]

cdrx said:

Collective,

POLICE
Follow
This Van

I have seen these signs on the back of G4S vans and more recently Royal Mail vans. Are they a request or a threat?

Neither and/or both, depending on the intent of those reading it...if you're a feef(sic) it warns you that there may well be a police patrol following, so knocking it over may not be the good idea you thought it was.
If you are plod its a request to keep an eye on it whilst within your patrol area, although if its presence has not been pre-advised and a request to watch out for/or escort it made, it means sweet FA.
It's much like those other signs like "My other car's a Jag" where the implied may or may not be so.

[Greendubber]

Yep, just follow it if you have time etc.

We have to follow them around at this time of year when we see them as they're bursting full of cash to stock cash points in time for xmas shopping etc.

Armed blags go up at this time of year.

[bleesh]

Q1. Is it "allowable" for me to put one of these on my desirable motor, or does the "system" allow us to put a flag against our car to say "will drive to local plod shop??

I've done this a couple of times and after lots of frantic arm waving, horn, siren and flashing lights, the Bib have followed me once they realised what was happening.
Not a problem - although only really works when you're local to home and know where the plod shop is.

Q2. Why are police stations not signposted like railway stations??

[Pothole]

http://www.inloughborough.com/news/000392/Police%2...

re: signposting; anti-terrorism bks?

[W124Bob]

cdrx said:

BIB in Range Rover following cash van doing the rounds recently also private surveilance van with cameras parked allday outside my local Lloyds TSB(day after attempeted raid!)

[Robert060379]

W124Bob said:

cdrx said:

BIB in Range Rover following cash van doing the rounds recently also private surveilance van with cameras parked allday outside my local Lloyds TSB(day after attempeted raid!)

Responding to a sticker or previous robbery attempt. Now the horse is in a different county why not close the stable door?

The C.I.T guys I work with have been told that dispite having an alarm linked directly to a GPS tracker back at base the Police response time is still up to an hour so the sticker is just a deterant at best.

[wazztie16]

bleesh said:

Q1. Is it "allowable" for me to put one of these on my desirable motor, or does the "system" allow us to put a flag against our car to say "will drive to local plod shop??

I've done this a couple of times and after lots of frantic arm waving, horn, siren and flashing lights, the Bib have followed me once they realised what was happening.
Not a problem - although only really works when you're local to home and know where the plod shop is.

Q2. Why are police stations not signposted like railway stations??

There's a police station on my commute that is signposted.

(Here's a thread resurrection for ya).