Unmarked Police Cars?

[polarbert]

I posted this as O/T in another thread but cant for the life of me find where i posted it, but does anyone know if you have to pull over for an unmarked police car? As I'm sure I read on here that you dont have to as it could be a fake one trying to nick your car.

many thanks!

[WD*]

I don't know the legality of it, but related to something i read on a completely unrelated site, I would:

* indicate to the car that I had seen it and intended to pull over
* Stop in a well lit area
* Lock the car and open the window a crack
* ask for the policeman's ID and check it with the police HQ/999


AFAIK, they are unable to take you away in an unmarked car, and must always call for a marked car should you need to be carted off...

As I say, I don't know how legal my advice is though

[bluepolarbear]

polarbert said:

I posted this as O/T in another thread but cant for the life of me find where i posted it, but does anyone know if you have to pull over for an unmarked police car? As I'm sure I read on here that you dont have to as it could be a fake one trying to nick your car. many thanks!

You have to pull over a officer in uniform. If the officer in the unmarked car is in uniform you stop, if he is not - you don't

[WD*]

jamesson said:

No requirement for prisoners to be transported in a marked vehicle though.

I stand corrected

[polarbert]

thanks for that! obviously i would stop if one was behind me but i just remember seeing something on here about them


ta again!

[DBSV8]

funny think un marked cars,

I returned back from overseas a few months ago , and borrowed dads car , i was tanking it up a deserted dual carriageway ( upton bypass in dorset) , i observed a silver BMW going at a rapid rate of knots, in front , I closed up and went for the overtake , lets be economical and say it was over 70 ........as its my habit I always glance at the driver .....just in case .........this turned out to be good practice because as I drew along side the BMW ......chap was in full uniform. he looked at me with amusement at the same time . i nodded and carefully indicated ajusted my speed acordingly behind him. he gave a smile and was off on his way .

fair play i could have been booked .......

much apreciated to the bib concerned

cheers

DBS

[njwc]

WD* said:

I don't know the legality of it, but related to something i read on a completely unrelated site, I would:  • indicate to the car that I had seen it and intended to pull over  • Stop in a well lit area  • Lock the car and open the window a crack  • ask for the policeman's ID and check it with the police HQ/999

Good advice IMHO, there was a case in Norfolk recently where two men in a plain car with a fake 'stop' sign pretended to be policeman and tried to force her out of her car.

Link to EDP Website story

extract from the above link said:

Police say the victim was driving along Gurney Road at about 10.30pm on Wednesday when she realised she was being closely followed by a Silver Ford Focus which was flashing its headlights. She was about a mile from Rackheath when the car overtook her and pulled closely in front of her and she noticed the word STOP lit up in a display in the rear of the vehicle. The woman pulled over and the driver approached her, claiming to be a police officer and telling her she had no rear brake lights. When she asked him for some ID he became abusive and ordered her to get out of the vehicle as he thought she had been drinking. She refused and he became furious, telling her to get out so she could be breath-tested and when she continued to stand her ground he tried to force her door open. A second man then got out of the other vehicle and tried to open the nearside door. The victim then threatened to call the police, prompting them to speed off towards Rackheath, turning left at the mini roundabout towards the industrial estate.

>> Edited by njwc on Wednesday 25th January 09:09

[silverback mike]

All correct, and as above, an officer in uniform may ask you to stop. However this may be in an unmarked vehicle. This would have blue lights in the grille though.

A police officer in 'civvies' cannot request you to stop - what they will do is ask a uniformed marked or unmarked unit to help out via the control room.

[pmanson]

silverback mike said:

All correct, and as above, an officer in uniform may ask you to stop. However this may be in an unmarked vehicle. This would have blue lights in the grille though. A police officer in 'civvies' cannot request you to stop - what they will do is ask a uniformed marked or unmarked unit to help out via the control room.

Thats how I got stopped for going through an amber traffic light 4 years. (I was stopped by 4 cars in total!)

3 points & £60 fine for going through a "RED" traffic light that was amber (2 cars following close behind me).

I made an official complaint to Thames Valley Police and was subjected to what bordered on harassment (5 police cars in 4 days outside the house and was interviewed about an assault on a young woman (I was only 19 at the time myself)). According to the superidendant (sp?) that my dad spoke to after the 3rd visit (we weren't in) there was no reason for them to have been in the area, let alone outside the house in the previous 3 years!

Apparently my car was on a list in the police station to be stopped on sight (According to the Police Complaints guy that came to see me).

Now if the guy who had seen me go through the amber light had just given me a quick chat I wouldn't have lost all respect for the police. (Which has now been restored thanks to the guys on PH and at RideDrive.

[silverback mike]

I've heard this on ph, alleged lists in police stations and can only say that I have never seen one, always far too busy to sit outside anyones house, we're lucky to be able to grab five minutes anywhere.

Yes there are what's called 'bronze nominals' but these are real criminals that are currently burgling houses regularly, and I do keep a good working knowledge of current disqualified drivers as that's one of my bugbears, people driving whilst disqual, which also means no insurance, but I think that's fair enough.

At least you have some faith back, were normal people (most are - you get numpties in every profession unfortunately) who enjoy the job. You have to enjoy it to do it, there's bugger all else.

Drop me a mail if you have any queries you don't want to air in public, I'll do my best to answer them.

Mike.

[7db]

Just to observe that anyone can ask you to stop, uniformed or otherwise -- you only commit an offence if they are uniformed plod. Or Vosa. Or HMCE. Or Army with authorisation. Or...

If you have any doubt, then drive to a populated well lit area to stop -- preferably a police station, or call 999 expressing your doubt. As a courtesy, acknowledge the driver who has indicated you to stop.

[Cooperman]

In these days it's so easy to create an apparent unmarked police car with just a bit of blue plastic over a couple of spotlights. I have told my wife and daughter never to stop for an unmarked car at any time, but to drive to the nearest police station or area of habitation/town centre with lots of people about and then follow the advice given above about locking the doors, keeping the engine running and the car in gear whilst opening the window an inch and asking for proper I/D. If this causes a problem the courts would be asked to decide what's the sensible thing to have done. Safe not sorry should be the attitude these days.

[silverback mike]

Cooperman said:

In these days it's so easy to create an apparent unmarked police car with just a bit of blue plastic over a couple of spotlights. I have told my wife and daughter never to stop for an unmarked car at any time, but to drive to the nearest police station or area of habitation/town centre with lots of people about and then follow the advice given above about locking the doors, keeping the engine running and the car in gear whilst opening the window an inch and asking for proper I/D. If this causes a problem the courts would be asked to decide what's the sensible thing to have done. Safe not sorry should be the attitude these days.

No one would fall out with that cooperman. If by any reason you are prosecuted for 'failing to stop' it would never reach court, obviously provided you didn't go via kentucky fried chicken, and passed a few police stations first.

[Cooperman]

A few years ago a friend of mine who was a car dealer in Reading bought an ex-police Granada which still had its stripes and siren fitted. The actual 'Police' words had been removed,a s had the roof lights and calibrated speedo/radio installation, but the car looked just like the real thing. I always wondered if this was just an error. It came up for sale at the Camberley auctions. Of course, he put it back to standard appearance before selling it, but it makes you think how easy it would be to 'clone' a police car for illegal activities. Have you any experience of anyone actually doing this, SBM?

[silverback mike]

No, I don't have any personal experience of this although there was a bit of a hoo hah last summer when the 'Police Vehicle enthusiasts' decided to blat down the M5 to some do or other in somerset exceeding the speed limit with blues and various age related sirens blaring away merrily to themselves.

The public were not happy, and I can't blame them.

It is an offence to display the word 'Police' and or have flashing blue lights.

Of course, you get your middle laner with the white omega/volvo/bmw etc with a folded up high viz jacket on the parcel shelf generally wearing a white shirt......guaranteed a tug.

[silverback mike]

As a rule, the cars we put through auction have their strobes/radio equipment/stripes removed prior to the sale. However, due to the fact that they have been on quite some time, you can still see 'police' in faded paint on the bonnet, along with some faded stripes.....very blues brothers indeed.

[hanse cronje]

Cooperman said:

to drive to the nearest police station

i was under the impression that they don't mind this, but then i would not want the bib to think i wasn't going to stop
particularly if on the motorway

so what is the best practice

[711]

silverback mike said:

.....very blues brothers indeed.

So if it's dark, you've got half a pack of cigarettes and you're wearing sunglasses, you're in for a stop

[pmanson]

silverback mike said:

I've heard this on ph, alleged lists in police stations and can only say that I have never seen one, always far too busy to sit outside anyones house, we're lucky to be able to grab five minutes anywhere. Yes there are what's called 'bronze nominals' but these are real criminals that are currently burgling houses regularly, and I do keep a good working knowledge of current disqualified drivers as that's one of my bugbears, people driving whilst disqual, which also means no insurance, but I think that's fair enough. At least you have some faith back, were normal people (most are - you get numpties in every profession unfortunately) who enjoy the job. You have to enjoy it to do it, there's bugger all else. Drop me a mail if you have any queries you don't want to air in public, I'll do my best to answer them. Mike.

Wasn't really a problem Mike just annoying. The only thing that still winds me up is that it was the traffic police that arrived who decided to book me. (They didn't bother even talking to me or asking me for my side of the story).

I still see the Traffic cop that did me as he drinks in the same pubs as me (On his own!!!) I have to resist the temptation when i've had a few drinks to shout at him (He's well known as having a chip on his shoulder).

Tempted to report him for DD as i'm sure he has more than he should but can't prove it.

[g_attrill]

silverback mike said:

No, I don't have any personal experience of this although there was a bit of a hoo hah last summer when the 'Police Vehicle enthusiasts' decided to blat down the M5 to some do or other in somerset exceeding the speed limit with blues and various age related sirens blaring away merrily to themselves.

Is that what the main club hoo-hah was all about then? AFAIK a good deal of the members are/were police officers so I presume it was either the police officers getting annoyed about the non-officers doing that, or vice-versa!

Gareth