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Obvious and non obvious ways to spot Highwaymen

georg jetson

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Sep 14, 2009
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Slidell, Louisiana
One of the things citizens can do to discourage "unmarked" LE units is to not pull over for them. This. of course, depends on the state. In my state of La., there are requirements for police vehicles...

Flight from an officer; aggravated flight from an officer

A. No driver of a motor vehicle or operator of a watercraft shall intentionally refuse to bring a vehicle or watercraft to a stop knowing that he has been given a visual and audible signal to stop by a police officer when the officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the driver has committed an offense. The signal shall be given by an emergency light and a siren on a vehicle marked as a police vehicle or marked police watercraft.

If a vehicle in LA. is not marked "POLICE" then there is no requirement to stop until such time as a marked unit appears.
I don't pull over for unmarked vehicles.
 

77zach

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Feb 5, 2007
Messages
2,913
Location
Marion County, FL
One of the things citizens can do to discourage "unmarked" LE units is to not pull over for them. This. of course, depends on the state. In my state of La., there are requirements for police vehicles...

Flight from an officer; aggravated flight from an officer

A. No driver of a motor vehicle or operator of a watercraft shall intentionally refuse to bring a vehicle or watercraft to a stop knowing that he has been given a visual and audible signal to stop by a police officer when the officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the driver has committed an offense. The signal shall be given by an emergency light and a siren on a vehicle marked as a police vehicle or marked police watercraft.

If a vehicle in LA. is not marked "POLICE" then there is no requirement to stop until such time as a marked unit appears.
I don't pull over for unmarked vehicles.

That's a good idea, reminds me I have to look up the law in Fl. I was pulled over by a Tahoe on I-95 in South Carolina in the summer of 2010. They conducted an illegal search without my consent of my rental car. I didn't know the law, so I pulled over.
 

georg jetson

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Slidell, Louisiana
That's a good idea, reminds me I have to look up the law in Fl. I was pulled over by a Tahoe on I-95 in South Carolina in the summer of 2010. They conducted an illegal search without my consent of my rental car. I didn't know the law, so I pulled over.

In the case where the unmarked is actually a cop, remeber to obey all traffic regs while he follows you. Many times a marked unit will be sent... pull over immediately once you see the marked unit.
 

eye95

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Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
Check to see if it lawful in your jurisdictions to continue to drive until you get to police station or to a more "safe" location. Folks pretending to be cops and stopping folks on the highway have prompted some places to consider such laws.
 

77zach

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Marion County, FL
One commenter at the linked website had an obvious idea I didn't think of, drive by your local [police department] and see what kinds of unmarked vehicles they have. Won't help you on a road trip, but it may be somewhat useful.

COMMENT EDITED BY ADMINISTRATOR: LEO bashing
 
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KBCraig

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Aug 7, 2007
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Granite State of Mind
http://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c005.php
SECTION 56-5-590. Stop.

"Stop," when required, means complete cessation from movement.

SECTION 56-5-750. Failure to stop motor vehicle when signaled by law-enforcement vehicle.

(A) In the absence of mitigating circumstances, it is unlawful for a motor vehicle driver, while driving on a road, street, or highway of the State, to fail to stop when signaled by a law enforcement vehicle by means of a siren or flashing light.

You highlighted the wrong part. Blue light bandits have flashing lights too.

Here's the important part: "(A) In the absence of mitigating circumstances, it is unlawful for a motor vehicle driver, while driving on a road, street, or highway of the State, to fail to stop when signaled by a law enforcement vehicle by means of a siren or flashing light."

I doubt there's a state in the union that hasn't issued warnings about blue light rapists, where police advice people to drive to a well lighted location before stopping.

I'm a pretty big guy and well armed, but I would never pull over for an unmarked vehicle.

I've never had one make the attempt, but the closest was a "low profile" Arkansas State Police car. These have no visible lights, and are only marked on the right front fender and passenger door. I was on the interstate when I noticed a car pacing me in the left lane; I glanced over and see two troopers in full uniform, including Smokey Bear hats, looking directly at me. As soon as I acknowledged them, they dropped behind me and hit the (hidden) blue flashers. Of course I pulled over, because they made it obvious that they weren't just some silver Crown Vic with lights behind the grill.
 
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JoeSparky

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Jun 20, 2008
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Location
Pleasant Grove, Utah, USA
Only 'wrong' for not supporting your point. My point, and the law (SECTION 56-5-750), is that lights or siren is sufficient for a lawful stop in South Carolina. I would loove to see a contradictory citation to SC law.
But ONLY "while driving on a road, street, or highway of the State"--- So what about pedestrians, they are NOT DRIVING A MOTOR VEHICLE? What about those NOT driving on a road, street, or highway of the state"? So, if in a parking lot on PRIVATE property it is NOT a violation of this law to not stop.

 

KBCraig

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Aug 7, 2007
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Granite State of Mind
Only 'wrong' for not supporting your point. My point, and the law (SECTION 56-5-750), is that lights or siren is sufficient for a lawful stop in South Carolina. I would loove to see a contradictory citation to SC law.

Sufficient for a stop by a law enforcement vehicle.

It is an important distinction.
 

09jisaac

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Joined
Apr 13, 2011
Messages
1,692
Location
Louisa, Kentucky
Sufficient for a stop by a law enforcement vehicle.

It is an important distinction.

Yea, but if you fail to pull over and it turns out that it IS a law enforcement vehicle, then you broke the law.

It is only legal to not pull over if it isn't a LEV that is flashing the lights and sirens.

So it isn't an important distinction for this thread's discussion.
 

JoeSparky

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Pleasant Grove, Utah, USA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HROigWi-CcU&feature=player_embedded

The link is to a video of a hero intentionally causing a hit and run. I've noticed lots of heroes pulling people over with their cars nearly on the road, sometimes on the interstate, don't understand it.
Absent extenuating circumstances this particular NC OEO in SC per the linked video audio track is nothing but a tool and he deserves to have the footage sent to his agency will all identifying information. And he also deserves a couple of citations... and not one for good behavior!

OH, Yeah, the extenuating circumstances would have included ACTIVE EMERGENCY LIGHTING IN USE!
 

davidmcbeth

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earth's crust

09jisaac

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Apr 13, 2011
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Louisa, Kentucky
Never. I had a perfect solution for tailgaiters; slow, signal, search for safe pull-over and stop.

Damn right. Slow down enough that if they wreck into you neither you nor them would have permeant problems down the road. Usually they get the hint and back off so you can safely resume speed.
 
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