Unmarked police vehicles should not be used for moving traffic law violations unless they're criminal, amirite?

You gotta love the stories of un-uniformed cops in unmarked cop cars descending on people with guns drawn and not revealing that they're police. It's like…. Damn, are the cops really that dumb?

by Beneficial-Ruin 2 weeks ago

With the number of car thefts in GTA it's immoral that they have the time and resources for this crap.

by Educational_Tea7338 2 weeks ago

Of course there's a lot of car thefts in Grand Thert Auto!

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

In america that man wouldnt have made it to trial, and if by some miracle he did theres 0 chance he would have been found not guilty. Good on canadian citizens for realizing how ridiculous that whole situation was.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

If you did I'm sure they would have found some way to grant qualified immunity.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

I live in Atlanta and a few years back they decided to have police cars with blue lights on the ends of their overhead lights. They stay on and it lets you know where the police are. When I see the lights at night I am more inclined to drive the speed limit and I also feel a sense of community because they're letting themselves known to help rather than hide. It makes me feel like they're on my side. Unmarked police cars are a threat to the community and an open opportunity for criminals

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

People don't commit crimes around known police officers, they just do it somewhere else smart one. Unmarked police keep people abiding by laws when no one's around

by Alarmed_Bake_7268 2 weeks ago

You forgot about killing unarmed civilians who think they are being robbed by not making it known that they are police. Just guys with guns running at you

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

Fully open to being wrong - but I feel like knowing the city has unmarked police cars around would make me less likely to speed in general, rather than only when I see a police car near me?

by Remarkable-Towel-573 2 weeks ago

I have a perfect solution to spoil their profit plan, drive within the confines of the law to take away that income No violations, no tickets, no money

by Historical-Fly-902 2 weeks ago

Yeah, I do this too. This does not negate the fact that cops are trying to encourage crime by hiding themselves, nor does it make unmarked cars magically identifiable in the case of an emergency.

by Left_Tea 2 weeks ago

Theyre not encouraging the crime. Theyre just catching the idiots who would pretend to not be doing crime when they know there are police around (slowing down when they see a cop car, etc.)

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

If people are slowing down when they see a cop, that cop's presence is discouraging that crime. Having that cop hide himself therefore has the effect of encouraging crime. This is not a hard dynamic to work out. That said, cops could (and do) split the difference, by hiding marked police cars behind obstacles. I feel that this is also unethical for similar reasons, but at least that cop has the ability to discourage unsafe driving by being visible if they choose, and they are generally visible to traffic coming the other way, and are available to patrol neighborhoods, etc. There is just no reason to have unmarked police cars, and they're only good for catching traffic violations.

by Left_Tea 2 weeks ago

They should be catching traffic violations, that's what I'm saying. The people need to be caught, not "discouraged" for 10 seconds.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

They can still catch people who do traffic violations with marked cars.

by Ella83 2 weeks ago

Not encouraging anything idiot. If anything its catching those that commit crime. Someone with a brain isnt going to commit a crime when they see the cop. But if they dont see a cop? They think they gon be slick and get away with it.

by Best_Fox 2 weeks ago

So do you literally never speed on the road? Because you know an unmarked cop could be anywhere so you wouldn't dare go 1 mph over the limit?

by Ella83 2 weeks ago

But you agree the presence of unmarked police cars in society does not deter you from speeding? That's my point, is they just exist to catch more people and give tickets, which sure maybe that's fine. But they don't exist to deter people from speeding.

by Ella83 2 weeks ago

It def. deters me from excessive speeding. But I don't speed or drive like an ass in general because I understand the danger I and my vehicle pose to other road users if I drive like an ass. That so many people here only behave in a responsible manner because they are afraid of punishment says a lot about their ethics.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

The most important function of the police SHOULD be to deter crime, but ask any woman who's been stalked and you'll find that, in fact, police won't lift a finger UNTIL that woman has been harmed, and even then, they likely won't do anything unless the abuser already has a criminal record. And even then, the abuser will probably get a slap on the wrist. And if you're a man being stalked/abused by a woman, good luck getting the police to take you seriously. Every thing I learned about the police when I was kid was a lie. They don't serve and protect anyone but the rich and their property.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

Eh 10mph over is sometimes just the flow of traffic. 30 over is pretty absurd tho

by Ok_Tomorrow 2 weeks ago

Yeah true, for highways/thruways definitely.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

I respect city and residential speed limits. 🤷‍♂️

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

nope. those are violations. there's a huge difference

by handwilton 2 weeks ago

Violations of what?

by Classic_Corner1433 2 weeks ago

Regulation, not criminal law.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

Bubby, you're just wrong. Are you one of those SovCits?

by Classic_Corner1433 2 weeks ago

Don't break the rules and then get mad you got caught.

by Renneradelia 2 weeks ago

I have a radar detector so the latter is pretty easy :)

by handwilton 2 weeks ago

LOL. There's definitely a reasonable argument to be made that law enforcement should aim to be preventive first and punitive second, but you just made pretty clear that you just selfishy want to do whatever you want and don't like consequences.

by DepartmentNo 2 weeks ago

It's all offences.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

this is just semantics. People who go over the limit should not be lobbed into the same category as criminals. That's just stupid.

by handwilton 2 weeks ago

They're breaking the law. They're criminals.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

Not every law is just or moral.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

well remind me to not visit whatever totalitarian regime you are from please.

by handwilton 2 weeks ago

A nation governed by laws? Breaking a law is a criminal act no matter how inconsequential you find that law. You don't get to just redefine the word criminal to not include you. Obey the laws and STFU.

by Odd-Sky 2 weeks ago

Not from any, but I wish the world was under one.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

Cops are supposed to be reducing crime, the only thing unmarked cops do is kill kids

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

Besides, all of it needs to be punished. Tickets, fines, inconvenience…

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

If you're going 30 over that's reckless driving akin to DUI. That's more than a moving violation and you should be pulled over and license suspended for multiple violations

by These-Date-3818 2 weeks ago

...so what traffic law did you break?

by Secret-Tell 2 weeks ago

I haven't been pulled over in a while, never by an unmarked car. It just makes me angry to see tax dollars be used for the purpose of taxing citizens more.

by handwilton 2 weeks ago

It's an easy way for pigs to collect revenue. It has 0 to do with safety

by Unhappy-Reflection84 2 weeks ago

Based on how laws are written, you are always breaking a law. Not speeding? Maybe you were following to close, tail light out, blinker blinking to fast, headlight is a bit dim or to low or to high. Nobody knows every traffic law

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

I suggest not driving at all if you can't figure this out.

by santos25 2 weeks ago

I dont mind people getting taxed for breaking the law. When you want to drive faster then the speed limit then do it. But dont cry when you need to pay a fine because of it.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

Taxing the citizense who break the law you mean. If you abide by traffic law you should have to worry. In my local city police use unmark motorcycles to catch people texting while driving. It's been very effective at catching distracted drivers.

by Secret-Tell 2 weeks ago

hear me out. They make everybody who gets pulled over feel safer if the cops do the exact same thing they normally do just in regular cars. you wouldn't listen to somebody in street clothes telling you they're a cop, why doesn't their car have to be identifying?

by handwilton 2 weeks ago

Hear me out. Don't just obey the law because you see a uniform or marked car nearby.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

Taxing citizens more is an interesting way to say enforcing the law

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

Hmm I'd challenge the assumption unmarked cars don't reduce speeding. One of the largest determinants in whether people break the law is likelihood of getting caught. (Not severity of penalty). Speeding is endemic because the odds of getting caught are pretty minimal - marked police cars are easy to spot and avoid, whilst cameras are usually highly visible and location tagged on Google Maps etc. People speed because they know they can get away with it. If you actually wanted to reduce speeding, you'd use far more unmarked cars, put an accurate satellite speedometer on board, and have them cruise around at 75mph, and give an instant ticket to every vehicle that overtakes them. When any potential vehicle becomes a speed camera, it becomes highly risky to speed, since the liklihood of getting caught is dramatically higher. By contrast, speed cameras just result in the ridiculous behaviour of people slamming their breaks on as they get to them and then shooting off again after.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

A known camera or a marked car is very effective in reducing speeding in a particular location. So if the goal is to prevent accidents then those things can be very effective if placed in the right places. If the goal is to eliminate all speeding then everything you said is correct, though I expect a large majority woild object to the level of surveillance you're describing, whether they are habitual speeders or not.

by DepartmentNo 2 weeks ago

But if everyone got caught for speeding would you still speed knowing you'll get a ticket?

by Fantastic_Balance613 2 weeks ago

How would everyone get caught? In that scenario I assume it's not the police that's giving tickets but some sort of surveillance system.

by Ella83 2 weeks ago

Do you never go 1mph over the speed limit because you fear unmarked cop cars around?

by Ella83 2 weeks ago

I mostly use my adaptive cruise control. But if I do go above the limit I do that with the full knowledge I may get a ticket and I am willing to accept that risk. And no cop is going to pull you over for going 1mph over, or even 7, unless they had a really bad day or you do something else stupid.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

So you agree the presence of unmarked police cars in society does not deter you from speeding? We all are making those calculated risks of how much can I speed before I get caught. My point is the unmarked police cars only exist to catch more people, which sure maybe that's ok to an extent. But they aren't deterring anyone from speeding anymore than they already do.

by Ella83 2 weeks ago

Why are you assuming I don't drive the speed limit? I drive very respectfully and hardly ever 5mph over

by Ella83 2 weeks ago

Why waste the money it takes to staff an officer to be a rolling camera when you can just line the roadways with Speed Cameras at every 1/4 mile.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

OP has absolutely been pulled over for going 60 in a 30mph residential zone and is mad about it.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

nope.

by handwilton 2 weeks ago

Unmarked cars are not a deterrent. Well marked cars are. Unmarked cars are a sneaky way of bringing in revenue. If you want to discourage unsafe driving, use deterrents.

by Former-Standard 2 weeks ago

They usually don't and aren't allowed to by their policies, typically because it would compromise the integrity of it being undercover. Though you can easily tell because if you look through the glass you're going to see bars.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

I wish that were true everywhere. It's painfully obvious though, it just makes it easier for fake cops. Everybody knows.

by handwilton 2 weeks ago

You need to visit Wisconsin. Other than a few major cities, everyone is moving to all blacked out SUVs with black vinyl graphics.

by Lazy-Director-5378 2 weeks ago

how about... cops don't get to pretend to not be cops until they can write a ticket? They park an unmarked car outside an apartment complex and somebody gets stabbed, nobody will know there's a cop right there.

by handwilton 2 weeks ago

So… in that situation the unmarked cop would just choose to do nothing? I mean wouldn't that be a good situation to have a cop around? I want to understand where you're coming from but you're not making a lot of sense.

by Jamirziemann 2 weeks ago

Because the unmarked car wouldn't be recognizable by the citizens. The cop can't see what happens behind closed doors but the citizens can see onto the street.

by handwilton 2 weeks ago

Ghost lettering on a police car should be outlawed too. I'd hate to be in a situation where I needed a cop but didn't realize one just passed me until the sun hit the car at just the right angle to see the lettering.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

I've never gotten pulled over, never gotten a ticket, never been in an accident... and I speed all the time. What's your point?

by ahmadkoepp 2 weeks ago

I'm not an bad driver but you are I guess.

by Fantastic_Balance613 2 weeks ago

On somewhat of a tangent, I recently saw a West Des Moines, IA police car that was black and fully marked, but all the markings were also black, just a slightly flatter finish. Has anyone seen this before or know what the point is? My assumption is that they intend for the vehicle to effectively unmarked while still being technically markwd, but I don't know the law well enough to know what they would gain from that.

by DepartmentNo 2 weeks ago

OP's mad that he can't drive 55, but not enough talent to write a song about it

by Daijaglover 2 weeks ago

This makes me think of the dude who tried to argue that unmarked cars were entrapment 😂

by Little-Reflection814 2 weeks ago

All I'm seeing here is "unmarked police cars are OP". Like, you only want them off of your back so that you can break the law at your leisure.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

Lol this is very popular, everyone knows the majority of traffic enforcement is a revenue game. This is true pretty much everywhere that does it. Some countries have automated cameras to write tickets (illegal in most of the USA) it's actually worse in Europe because they can farm money from other EU countries passing through.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

Police also shouldn't be allowed to use those "stealthy" markings, where you can just barely read them from the right angle and the right lighting. Police are known for being unhappy when "a perp gets off on a technicality", aren't they? Then I say these stealth markings are a technicality. The law needs to say the marking shall be high contrast, visible from a distance, etc.

by Wuckertjanie 2 weeks ago

Living in the continental US sounds like a nightmare

by Foreign-Shine-2105 2 weeks ago

Running yellow isn't illegal

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

Somebody got pulled over by one of those stealth patrol cars, black suv's where "POLICE" can only be seen close up at an angle.

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago

They should not be used to ticket people going 10-30mph over the limit. They should be used for investigating real crime, people driving at criminal speeds Those are criminal speeds...

by Anonymous 2 weeks ago