Ever Fell Like a Cop?

[SHERIFF]

I had an interesting thing happen to me the other day. It appears that someone else was feeling like a cop that day. I was on my way to work driving my old beater car (91 T-bird 5.0) and came up behind a former police Crown Vic Police Interceptor. It was white and that little tag on the back that we have been discussing. I knew it was not a real police car. I have almost 17 years in as a police officer and know what community in my area has what in their fleet. To continue...the light turned green and we both turned on to a four lane road. From experience, I could tell he kid driving the CVPI had it to the floor. So I accelerated at my normal rate and passed him leaving him far behind. The next thing I know, this kid comes flying up my bumper and is hanging out inches off the rear of my car. (yes I was speeding and had a jacket on over my uniform). After he observed that I was not spooked, he pulled up along side of me and tried to stare me down. After some time and no change in my behavior, he accelerated and pulled in front of me so that I could see that little tag again. He never knew who he was messing with or that the person he was messing with was possibly armed. For some people, "feeling like a cop" has a whole different meaning.

Obviously, he wanted you to think he was pacing your speed. There is a web site that teaches this stuff to the "police impersonators"

There is a kid in my area who does exactly what you described. He was side-tracked a while because he wrecked and demolished his cop lookalike car. But he is back in an old worn out ex-police now doing the same thing. Sooner or later he will mess with the wrong motorist.... a judge's wife, a policeman's wife, a lawyer's wife, etc..... or maybe even an off-duty law enforcement officer of some type.

 

[muslhed]

I gotta question for ya, Sheriff....or any other LEO's on this board. Let me describe the setting first. You're out on your daily patrol, and you spot an unmarked black MM, with dark tint, antennas on the trunk lid, pass you doing about 10-15 over the speed limit. How do you honestly decifer if it is either another cop, county, state or government official, or just an ordaniry citizen? Would you pull over another officer if you were uncertain, or save yourself the embarrassment and let him go? Just curious.....

 

[SHERIFF]

First off, an intelligent police officer knows all the "police cars" in his immediate area. He knows whether a trooper or deputy sheriff has been issued a new unmarked Marauder or not. He also knows what "unmarked" cars detectives and special units use. Hell, I can for example drive you around and show you crappy looking vans the State Police use for surveillance work, and conversion vans the Drug Task Force seized and presently use.

Secondly, if the car is breaking the law, and is not known to be a real police car, pull him over and check. There's nothing embarassing about that.

Thirdly, and more important of all....... the dark tint in my state would set off alarms with 99% of police rookies and veterans alike. They love to harass people over dark tint. It's like stealing candy from a baby. A free ticket for the monthly quota. Oops, did I say quota? We can't have quota and qualify for federal grants. We have to call them "performance expectations".

 

[MarauderMark]

I had a situation once.driving back home from baltimore a mark vIII blows buy at about 90 a couple lanes over so i get up on him very quickly to run it . he slows to 65 i get next to him roll down my black windows to show im not a cop and wave .he waves back (pakistan or sumthin like that) and slows even more i laugh and take off and leave him back there..

 

[muslhed]

Ok, you're last paragraph makes me wanna puke, but anyway.....
You're obviously not from Texas, because half of the Police cruisers around here have dark tinted windows. That goes for county, state and local coppers alike. In Texas, it is not against the law to have dark tint on the windows of your car. It's only illegal if you exceed the legal limit on the front door windows. Are you from a large city, where being familiar with all your teams cars is easily accessible, or are you from a rural area that has many small towns spread out over the county?
You make me feel like I asked a pretty stupid question Mr. Sheriff, and I don't feel like I did! I am seeing unmarked Marauders used out in the country all the time now around here, and I can't honestly tell the difference between those cars and mine!

 

[Alan]

Your behavior is not real smart. How many people did you jeopardize on the road when you pulled this stunt? What did it prove?

If you want to go fast...then by all means...take your car to the track and go as fast and act as stupid as you want. When you put innocent lives at stake because you want to prove how "cool" you are by racing people on the highway...that's where the line gets drawn in the sand.

I had a situation once.driving back home from baltimore a mark vIII blows buy at about 90 a couple lanes over so i get up on him very quickly to run it . he slows to 65 i get next to him roll down my black windows to show im not a cop and wave .he waves back (pakistan or sumthin like that) and slows even more i laugh and take off and leave him back there..

 

[SHERIFF]

Ok, you're last paragraph makes me wanna puke, but anyway.....
You're obviously not from Texas, because half of the Police cruisers around here have dark tinted windows.

You didn't ask a stupid question..... That's the trouble with Internet forums. Very often we're comparing apples to oranges in many discussions..... in this case, the varying laws state to state on window tint.

I answered based on my area of residence and my personal opinion. But........ putting tint aside in the conversation totally....... most cops know what are "police cars" and what are not in their immediate area. If a car such as a 2004 Marauder with antennas on the trunk and roof top shows up in Waco, most cops know rather quickly whether it's a real police car or not. Most cops will know beforehand it's ordered or coming, even before the officer gets it.

 

[Skp369]

I will have to agree with Sheriff on this one. Most officers know just about everything in their fleet and surrounding community. And any off-duty LEO should know that you do not disrespect an on-duty officer like that and put the on-duty officer in a position where he must take action. So I would pull him over because he probably not an LEO and if he is I want a word with him!

 

[03SILVERSTREAK]

he,s probably not an LEO

I will have to agree with Sheriff on this one. Most officers know just about everything in their fleet and surrounding community. And any off-duty LEO should know that you do not disrespect an on-duty officer like that and put the on-duty officer in a position where he must take action. So I would pull him over because he probably not an LEO and if he is I want a word with him!

Up this way you would first run his plates to see if they come back to a municipality. if it comes back to a private residents address then you pull him over. if it comes back hot,well to the LEOs out there know what to do...

 

[Logan]

Feel free to continue this discussion on a LEO forum. THIS is a marauder forum. This conversation's been around entirely way too long.