M5 chase today?
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3Dee

Original Poster:

3,206 posts

252 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
1/2 hr ago driving north on M5 from Jn11, suddenly sirens, and an unmarked police car (I presume) came hurtling past on the outside lane with front radiator and rear parcel-shelf lights flashing. I noted that this car had a big square of what looked like white paper Photocopy with a black bold letter 'S' in the top off-side part of the rear window.

Closely following were two/ three other marked police cars with blues on again with the same white sheet of paper in the rear widow, but this time with the letters 'PC'!!!!!!

They went on ahead, then the traffic slowed to a crawl, and I could see in the distance that the police cars seemed to have stopped 50 yds ahead of the main traffic for a few secs. Couldn't see properly but they seem to be manoeuvring around and across the carriageway slowly. I thought they had caught someone, but then within another 30 secs all shot off into the distance!!!!

very very strange, especially when the road conditions were poor and visibility not too good due to the rain....

Anyone know what was going on? ...and what did the paper letters mean?

Mr Gearchange

5,892 posts

237 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
Pursuit training?

TheEnd

15,370 posts

219 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
Could have been training, S for "suspect", and PC for "IBM compatible personal computer".

cjb1

2,000 posts

182 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
3Dee said:
1/2 hr ago driving north on M5 from Jn11, suddenly sirens, and an unmarked police car (I presume) came hurtling past on the outside lane with front radiator and rear parcel-shelf lights flashing. I noted that this car had a big square of what looked like white paper Photocopy with a black bold letter 'S' in the top off-side part of the rear window.

Closely following were two/ three other marked police cars with blues on again with the same white sheet of paper in the rear widow, but this time with the letters 'PC'!!!!!!

They went on ahead, then the traffic slowed to a crawl, and I could see in the distance that the police cars seemed to have stopped 50 yds ahead of the main traffic for a few secs. Couldn't see properly but they seem to be manoeuvring around and across the carriageway slowly. I thought they had caught someone, but then within another 30 secs all shot off into the distance!!!!

very very strange, especially when the road conditions were poor and visibility not too good due to the rain....



Anyone know what was going on? ...and what did the paper letters mean?
Perhaps poice doing pursuit training? "PC" = pursuit car? "S" Suspect?

All just a guess?

Elroy Blue

8,853 posts

223 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
T-PAC training

tuffer

9,023 posts

298 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
It was a robbery, S = Scoundrel, PC = Pig Chasing

3Dee

Original Poster:

3,206 posts

252 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
Wasn't close enough to see if the suspect cars driver offered the pursuit car driver some of their chocolate snack before asking them to give them a head start again! wink

cjb1

2,000 posts

182 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
Elroy Blue said:
T-PAC training
Watch out boys, 'fink 'es a rozzer?

carinaman

25,294 posts

203 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
3Dee said:
very very strange, especially when the road conditions were poor and visibility not too good due to the rain....
But it rains a lot so doing it in conditions that they're likely to meet when doing for it real may have some benefits.

Lost soul

8,712 posts

213 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
Mr Gearchange said:
Pursuit training?
I doubt they would be training if the conditions were as stated

Greendubber

15,380 posts

234 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
Lost soul said:
I doubt they would be training if the conditions were as stated
Why not? they'll be expected to use the tactic operationally and that includes when the weathers crap.

340600

610 posts

174 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
Definitely TPAC training from what's been described. The signs in the window are new to me though.

As stated they train for reality which is why part of it is done on public roads, crap weather or not.

3Dee

Original Poster:

3,206 posts

252 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
340600 said:
Definitely TPAC training from what's been described. The signs in the window are new to me though.

As stated they train for reality which is why part of it is done on public roads, crap weather or not.
Does sound like it... especially since they pretty-much stopped all over the carriageway for only 30 secs or so (presumably to congrat each other and hand out the chocolate bar) before shooting off again. If it twer real, then I would have expected to be held up for much longer. Why else would they stop the traffic for such a short time?

340600

610 posts

174 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
Yep. On my course we were stationary for probably 3 seconds before shooting off again. And there certainly weren't any choccy bars handed out grumpy

3Dee

Original Poster:

3,206 posts

252 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
340600 said:
Yep. On my course we were stationary for probably 3 seconds before shooting off again. And there certainly weren't any choccy bars handed out grumpy
Tut! Tut! Wrong force you joined then! I even understand that the Met do one better! - Jammy Dodgers!

Elroy Blue

8,853 posts

223 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
The signs are to identify which crew are in which car and a 30 second stop isn't unusual for a real job. You have to jump out of the car and grab the driver in real life, so you do it in training as well.

340600

610 posts

174 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
Your lot must do it a bit differently (more realistic?) then.

The battered Seat Leon and 10-year-old Vectra were enough for us to identify who's who.

Elroy Blue

8,853 posts

223 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
340600 said:
Your lot must do it a bit differently (more realistic?) then.

The battered Seat Leon and 10-year-old Vectra were enough for us to identify who's who.
Quite odd because I'm in the same area as you and there is definitely callsign cards placed in the rear window and we've always got out of the car. The Leon is plenty fast enough (I've driven it), although the Vectra is indeed dog slow.

italianjob1275

603 posts

177 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
Elroy Blue said:
T-PAC training
This. A regular site on this stretch of the M5, target car is usually a black Seat Leon. Plod are West Mercia.

340600

610 posts

174 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
quotequote all
Elroy Blue said:
Quite odd because I'm in the same area as you and there is definitely callsign cards placed in the rear window and we've always got out of the car. The Leon is plenty fast enough (I've driven it), although the Vectra is indeed dog slow.
They must not rate us non-motorway plebs as highly as you guys. I'll be sure to demand a proper course in 5 years time. hehe