Unlawful to not pull over?

[Belthos]

Many moons ago when I was a teenager there was a guy going around with an unmarked car using police lights to pull over people.
He shot a man at an intersection not three houses down from where a friend of mine lived.

Needless to say he wasn't a police officer, but he'd pulled over a few vehicles with differing results.

 

[Belthos]

The OSU police have several unmarked vehicles. An older model white Dodge truck and an older model white Tahoe I think. And they are GOOD. I've tried finding the lights and couldn't, even though I knew they were there. I never would have known about them if I hadn't seen them respond to emergencies on campus.

I spent many years as a truck driver and I can usually spot an unmarked police car 49 out of 50 times.
I was traveling across a public highway that crossed a military base out in an eastern state when a couple of unmarked military police cars turned on the disco lights and lit out after someone.
One of them was a little MG convertible sports car and I'd have never considered it or the other one as potential police cars and I'd been following behind the MG when it lit up.

 

[AKguy1985]

Usually a legit unmarked car will light up like christmas tree.

 

[Brandi]

Definitely contact the department who has jurisdiction where you live. IIRC OKCPD addressed this a couple years in some public service announcement but I don't remember everything they said. I do know in OKC if they pull you over in an unmarked car the officer has to be in full uniform. If you're really concerned the car is a fake keep driving and call 911. If you don't have a phone drive to the nearest place with people and stop. If the person that walks up isn't in full uniform drop the hammer and get away, then call 911 asap. They aren't going to charge you with eluding or anything if you are legitimately concerned and you follow the guidelines. The problem is 99% of the drivers out here have no idea what the OKCPD's policy on this is. They really need to put that information out there better.

I think what I heard was from a couple years ago when there was a guy actively pulling women over and attacking them. They interviewed an OKCPD spokesperson on what drivers should do in this situation. The actual news story may be available online somewhere if someone can find it. Personally I think using unmarked cars for traffic stops is just a bad idea. They say it dramatically decreases the number of speeders but, in my experience, a marked car works a whole lot better. One marked car in traffic will slow the flow around him for miles...heck, people will even drive under the speed limit when there's a marked car in amongst everyone. Instead of unmarked cars just put more marked cars out during heavy traffic periods and problem solved.

 

[Fyrtwuck]

Heres what you do.....

Make them follow you to a well lit populated area.
Drive around the same block at least twice to see if he still follows you. (this also make sure he's REALLY interested in stopping you)
Get on the phone and call 911 to verify that the police are really trying to stop you.
If they say it is, tell them prove it.
When the "officer" approaches, don't roll the window all the way down and keep your doors locked.
Ask him for his three forms of ID.
If says he's a State Trooper and he doesn't have his hat on, ask him why.
Then after all that is done,......

Let him see your video camera and keep repeating....ARE YOU DETAINING ME, ARE YOU DETAINING ME?

Just so everyone has no doubt, this is an attempt at humorous sarcasm.

 

[Perplexed]

I think it is a Very Bad Idea to use unmarked cars for traffic enforcement, and I was miffed when the TPD adopted this policy. Not only does it raise the issue of public safety, it also breeds resentment and distrust amongst the public when they perceive the police to be using sneaky, underhanded tactics. Keep the Smokies in the brown paper bags for non-traffic enforcement: stakeouts, narcotics, homicide, and the like.

The advice to call 911 to confirm the attempted stop is all well and good, but what if you're deaf? That's going to skew the situation a bit more against you if you try proceeding to a public area which could be several miles down the road. Where does it stop being a legitimate concern for your safety and start being an attempt to elude the police? That's a fine line to be determined by a cop who might be p!ssed off you're not immediately pulling over, and who may or may not have the sensibility to realize his or her own department's policy is the reason for the refusal to stop right away.

 

[AKguy1985]

TPD likes to use those unmarked cars on 169. Kinda obvious when you see a inconspicuous crown vic parked along side of the highway.



See this one is pretty sneaky, unmarked OHP charger

 

[porscheman2944]

It is unlawful not to pull over in a timely manner. That being said because of the incidents that happen there is some leadway. Most jurisdictions officers that are in unmarked cars are to be in full uniform. The best bet is to call into police dispatch and verify most officers will understand.

 

[caojyn]

I think it is a Very Bad Idea to use unmarked cars for traffic enforcement, and I was miffed when the TPD adopted this policy. Not only does it raise the issue of public safety, it also breeds resentment and distrust amongst the public when they perceive the police to be using sneaky, underhanded tactics. Keep the Smokies in the brown paper bags for non-traffic enforcement: stakeouts, narcotics, homicide, and the like.

That ship sailed decades ago.

 

[Keyser328]

A few years ago in Denver they had an issue with a serial killer using an "unmarked car" with LEO lights and the like to pull people over and shoot them in their seats. The guy even had a uniform 'costume' he wore, and his pistol was hanging off his hip as you would expect.

I believe the city told people they could call 911 or the PD non-emergency line to verify the car behind them was an unmarked officer and they were told to keep driving until it was confirmed.

My point is, even a uniform isn't a good indicator. A quick search on amazon turned up plenty of options, including fake badges etc (clearly fake, but given the example above, they don't have to be very good for a passing glance).