Unmarked police car, no flashing lights, pulled over

[Dodsy]

Some police officers enjoy using their power at any opportunity. I used to have a friend who took his warrant card everywhere. He was forever flashing it at anyone who’d made the slightest transgression on a night out .

He’s no longer a friend it got ridiculous , i once saw him sprint down a road in an area outside his force waving his badge at a driver then making them drive away who’d gone straight over a junction the parked up when it was left turn only. While we were walking between pubs on a night out.

[Nibbles_bits]

Dodsy said:

Some police officers enjoy using their power at any opportunity. I used to have a friend who took his warrant card everywhere. He was forever flashing it at anyone who’d made the slightest transgression on a night out .

He’s no longer a friend it got ridiculous , i once saw him sprint down a road in an area outside his force waving his badge at a driver then making them drive away who’d gone straight over a junction the parked up when it was left turn only. While we were walking between pubs on a night out.

That sort don't tend to last too long

[Southerner]

Nibbles_bits said:

Nope. A Warrant card is just a fancy ID card. The Officer holds the appointment of Constable.
A uniformed Officer doesn't need to carry one, and neither does an off duty Officer.
Once an off duty Officer identifies themselves as such, they are then 'On duty' and have all the powers and privileges, albeit they still can't execute powers requiring 'an Officer in uniform'.

If they aren't in a marked car or in uniform, you MAY have a defence for not stopping.

• FYI - a "traffic cop" is still just a Police Officer

Interesting. In the case of an off duty officer sans warrant card, presumably Joe Public is under no obligation to comply with anything until such time as they can verify that the officer is indeed who they say they are? Otherwise everyone would be at it playing silly buggers on nights out!

[Wills2]

I was stopped once for accelerating too quickly many years ago when I was young, the officer was perfectly polite and explained why it wasn't a good idea and just wanted a word and to pass on some advice about my driving standards.

Took it all on board and he was right, I don't understand drivers that think if they think it's OK then it doesn't matter.

[Nibbles_bits]

Southerner said:

Nibbles_bits said:

Nope. A Warrant card is just a fancy ID card. The Officer holds the appointment of Constable.
A uniformed Officer doesn't need to carry one, and neither does an off duty Officer.
Once an off duty Officer identifies themselves as such, they are then 'On duty' and have all the powers and privileges, albeit they still can't execute powers requiring 'an Officer in uniform'.

If they aren't in a marked car or in uniform, you MAY have a defence for not stopping.

• FYI - a "traffic cop" is still just a Police Officer

Interesting. In the case of an off duty officer sans warrant card, presumably Joe Public is under no obligation to comply with anything until such time as they can verify that the officer is indeed who they say they are? Otherwise everyone would be at it playing silly buggers on nights out!

In short, yes.
But a reasonable person doing something that would require an Off Duty Officer to intervene, would stop doing it ( who am I kidding).

And that's why you don't intervene when you're drunk

Edited by Nibbles_bits on Wednesday 30th June 16:21

[Southerner]

Nibbles_bits said:

In short, yes.
But a reasonable person doing something that would require an Off Duty Officer to intervene, would stop doing it ( who am I kidding).

And that's why you don't intervene when you're drunk

Edited by Nibbles_bits on Wednesday 30th June 16:21

I can imagine that's probably best avoided!

[loafer123]

I was stuck behind a car who refused to pull over into the inside lane on a dual carriageway near me (no other traffic in front in view) so I overtook on the inside.

He stuck on covert flashing lights and pulled up next to me at the next roundabout and started berating me.

The problem he had is that I know he’s a WALT paramedic, because we had a very similar commute, so I had seen him many times.

I told him that, if he ever did that again, I would ensure he lost his driving licence in a very public manner for impersonating a Police Officer.

He shut up then, and changed his route to work.

[KingNothing]

I wouldn't be pulling over for anyone in an unmarked (as in no covert lights etc.) if all they were doing was flashing a card/radio etc. at me from their drivers seat, even if I could see they were wearing what looked like a police officers attire.

[Clivey]

There was recently an incident local to me in which a couple of carjackers used the same model of car as the local traffic police, complete with flashing blue LED lights, to try and steal a car. Apparently it's not the first time this has happened and although I'm pretty good at spotting the little telltales of an unmarked police car, I won't be stopping for anything unmarked unless I'm 100% sure it's genuine.