Vehicles Impersonating Emergency Vehicles

[jshell]

Do any of our TrafPol stop or even notice these people? I regularly see an Audi in Edinburgh with two blue reflectors behind the front grill, silver roof-rack and Hi-Viz jacket in the back. There's also the pics from this thread: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[HantsRat]

The Audi may be a doctors car. There are lots out there that are legitimate emergency vehicles. Not all plain cars are police. You have plain doctors cars, fire officers etc. Also the NCA also have a fleet of unmarked cars accross the country as well as army/navy etc.

Alot of them may look like an unmarked emergency vehicle but the lights may actually flash orange. Which can be fitted to so many vehicles, recovery agents, highways, electrical engineers etc.

You do get the odd fruit loop that fits blues to their car but these are soon picked up. I've dealt with one in Southampton. Just google his company Atraks.

Edited by HantsRat on Friday 27th May 10:59

[Andehh]

Friends with a chap who is a counter terrorism officer, he has his car all set up with sirens and blue lights for emergency incidents when he is at home etc. Heads of fire stations have the same sort of thing I think.

[ModernAndy]

What kind of Audi is it? I do know there's an S3 that's done up similar to how you describe but it definitely IS an unmarked police car.

I actually have a friend up north who gave evidence against somebody who did their car up with strobers to pretend to be a copper: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/811...

[ashleyman]

Andehh said:

Friends with a chap who is a counter terrorism officer, he has his car all set up with sirens and blue lights for emergency incidents when he is at home etc. Heads of fire stations have the same sort of thing I think.

Got a friend like this too. He's something to do with counter terrorism but not a police officer from what I understand. His cars are always big powered saloons with lights and sirens that look exactly like what an unmarked car would have except without the extra weight of equipment in the back as it was his personal car.

[jshell]

ModernAndy said:

What kind of Audi is it? I do know there's an S3 that's done up similar to how you describe but it definitely IS an unmarked police car.

I actually have a friend up north who gave evidence against somebody who did their car up with strobers to pretend to be a copper: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/811...

It's a silver A4, and I'll have a closer look next time I see it. I know where it parks up, but I'm not intending to get all 'road-vigilante' about it, more idle curiosity!

I followed that case of the male stripper, fascinating! Papers made it out to be some ind of vendetta against him!

[Alucidnation]

I particularly like this one...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeuJ_6skbF4


And apparently, he hasn't learnt.

[944fan]

ashleyman said:

Andehh said:

Friends with a chap who is a counter terrorism officer, he has his car all set up with sirens and blue lights for emergency incidents when he is at home etc. Heads of fire stations have the same sort of thing I think.

Got a friend like this too. He's something to do with counter terrorism but not a police officer from what I understand. His cars are always big powered saloons with lights and sirens that look exactly like what an unmarked car would have except without the extra weight of equipment in the back as it was his personal car.

Yep I worked for the old bill for a bit. There was a department called TSU who dealt with covert cameras, listening devices and the like. They were all civilians but had permission to break the speed limit (had to extra training) and their personal cars had lights behind the grille fitted and pop up lights on the parcel shelf. I think they also had exceptions to speed without the use of lights if operationally important enough but had to given permission by an inspector or something like that.

The firearms unit also had suped up salons that looked like normal cars.

[ashleyman]

944fan said:

Yep I worked for the old bill for a bit. There was a department called TSU who dealt with covert cameras, listening devices and the like. They were all civilians but had permission to break the speed limit (had to extra training) and their personal cars had lights behind the grille fitted and pop up lights on the parcel shelf. I think they also had exceptions to speed without the use of lights if operationally important enough but had to given permission by an inspector or something like that.

The firearms unit also had suped up salons that looked like normal cars.

That's exactly how I would describe my friends car. He also said he could drive above the speed limit without lights if he needed too (didn't mention the inspector permission).

[surveyor_101]

There was a guy in a petrol station were I lived who had a very tired mk1 disco all marked up with a magnetic blue light and ambulance. I saw him stopped one night and then next time I saw the car it had an amber light now ambulance and recovery on the side lol.

I was on the M5 the other day and an audi a4 with no extra aerials was flying and some chave in a keved up bmw 1 series tried to keep up and then it slowed the rear strobes reds flashed a few times and the bmw driver soiled their pants and slowed right down.

[mph1977]

ashleyman said:

944fan said:

Yep I worked for the old bill for a bit. There was a department called TSU who dealt with covert cameras, listening devices and the like. They were all civilians but had permission to break the speed limit (had to extra training) and their personal cars had lights behind the grille fitted and pop up lights on the parcel shelf. I think they also had exceptions to speed without the use of lights if operationally important enough but had to given permission by an inspector or something like that.

The firearms unit also had suped up salons that looked like normal cars.

That's exactly how I would describe my friends car. He also said he could drive above the speed limit without lights if he needed too (didn't mention the inspector permission).

as a vehicle used for Police Purposes, the exemption does not
a) require the driver to hold theoffice of constable
b) seek authorisation from a senior officer - although force policy may dictate that

this got lightly confused in the minds ofa few people by the the tube ESUs being reliveried as BTP and BTP officers driving them - this was expedient rather than trying to get get the ESU classified seperately , and BTP was an easier paperwork task than LFB ( plus no doubt LFB would have wanted to do a complete take over )

[Centurion07]

944fan said:

They were all civilians but had permission to break the speed limit (had to extra training)..

Reeeeeeeeally?

Pretty sure it's only bonafide members of the emergency services that have an exemption like that.

[ModernAndy]

jshell said:

ModernAndy said:

What kind of Audi is it? I do know there's an S3 that's done up similar to how you describe but it definitely IS an unmarked police car.

I actually have a friend up north who gave evidence against somebody who did their car up with strobers to pretend to be a copper: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/811...

It's a silver A4, and I'll have a closer look next time I see it. I know where it parks up, but I'm not intending to get all 'road-vigilante' about it, more idle curiosity!

I followed that case of the male stripper, fascinating! Papers made it out to be some ind of vendetta against him!

In that case it probably is some sort of fantasy-land jobsworth. Also, I misread 'roof rack' as 'roof rails' so unless they're the Cycle Police Support, very unlikely to have anything to do with the emergency services.

[HantsRat]

Centurion07 said:

Reeeeeeeeally?

Pretty sure it's only bonafide members of the emergency services that have an exemption like that.

You can use exemptions if the vehicle is being used for a police purpose.

[Centurion07]

Every day's a school day.

[944fan]

HantsRat said:

Centurion07 said:

Reeeeeeeeally?

Pretty sure it's only bonafide members of the emergency services that have an exemption like that.

You can use exemptions if the vehicle is being used for a police purpose.

In their case it was for things like. "Oh st I think Mr Naughty pants may have worked out we are watching him and you need to go and get the kit back sharpish". Or probably more likely the kit is fked please fix it asa fking p.

[Poshbury]

A car I once owned and which I used officially a few times whilst serving in the Police.

[OverSteery]

Poshbury said:

A car I once owned and which I used officially a few times whilst serving in the Police.

Poor thing. Who put that grill on it

[BossHogg]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned us!

[4x4Tyke]

ashleyman said:

Andehh said:

Friends with a chap who is a counter terrorism officer, he has his car all set up with sirens and blue lights for emergency incidents when he is at home etc. Heads of fire stations have the same sort of thing I think.

Got a friend like this too. He's something to do with counter terrorism but not a police officer from what I understand. His cars are always big powered saloons with lights and sirens that look exactly like what an unmarked car would have except without the extra weight of equipment in the back as it was his personal car.

These sound very much like the Walts being discussed in the other thread. Are you absolutely certain of their credentials?

It seems very unlikely that real counter terrorism officers would need to provide their own cars and fit their own blue lights.

Edited by 4x4Tyke on Saturday 28th May 09:38