View Single Post
 
Old 03-09-2013, 04:57 PM
Delos Delos is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: North Dakota
Posts: 813
Likes: 565
Liked 192 Times in 140 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by JOERM View Post
A while back a WSP trooper stopped by my work place to check something out. He was in his unmarked car so i asked him a simple question if he liked patrolling in it. He said yes and told a quick story about people who pass him at Mach speed only to be surprised to see the Christmas Lights come on ASAP.

That's one good reason to have unmarked cop rigs but what are the others? I know some people who think it should be against the law.

I think that troopers that drive in unmarked rigs have more fun than those who don't. Just a guess.

So what are the reasons for cops to have unmarked rigs? I'm not talking about security or stuff like that, just local highway patrol type.

This kind of ties into the Crown Vic/Chevy car thing.

Well, I believe Caryl Chessman was the last "red light bandit" (rapist) to be executed.
Caryl Chessman Biography - Facts, Birthday, Life Story - Biography.com

I have not yet read all the posts here, and I am not going to read all about Caryl Chessman again.

But I can remember a time when people were really against being pulled over by anything other than a clearly marked police car.

Police have always worn the uniform necessary. Originally it was whatever king, and whatever kings required "coat of arms" on his shield. As guns replaced swords the shields got smaller.

Not going with someone who does not look like one of the kings men has always been an issue. Someone pounding on your door at night yelling "police open up" is not just something from an old movie.

And the "Hillside (?) Strangler" would cruise around at dusk and flash a badge at young ladies walking, and tell them he should give them a ride, because its getting dark (or some-such). And their bodies would be found on a hillside, I think with cuff marks on the wrists (was the reason police were warning about someone flashing a badge?)

I once read about a gang hit (Las Vegas?) where two hit men walked up to a guy sitting in a bar, flashed a badge, and took him out in the alley and killed him.

Chicago's Saint Valentines Day Massacre had many gangsters in police uniforms involved.

Anyway it was one of the many reasons they took our fun spotlights away years ago. The car mounted spotlights were fun for spotlight tag on the empty screen, before the drive in movie. But by putting red (plastic wrap? not available yet?) something over the spotlight, one suddenly could play police car on any night.

Anyway it goes back and forth. People get accustomed to being able to watch for police cars and smart departments will put out spotters to clock you and call in a uniform. The departments who put uniformed police in unmarked cars doing traffic work of any kind always ends up being a problem, and stopping it for awhile.

Sheriffs are elected. City police Chiefs are appointed by the elected mayor. When people get paranoid (overly suspicious in a negative way) about police procedures being to easy to copy then stuff must change.

When people are more worried about speeders and drunk drivers the pendulum swings again.
Reply With Quote
The Following User Likes This Post: