I was wondering everyone's opinion on a thought I had yesterday (and one that has been reoccurring in my mind).
Should all police officers be "able" to have lights installed in their personal vehicles? I feel like I see a lot of shitty driving on the road all day long, but when there's a cop around, everyone's a god damn saint!
Wouldn't having officers driving around in their personal vehicles be a better deterrent? Bet you didn't know that Honda Civic was a cop! BLUE LIGHTS!
I understand that there is a negative to this (impersonating a police officer)... but surely this could be alleviated with some sort of effective identification. Thoughts?
Shitty idea..cops are shitty drivers too when in personal cars.. Sorry wolfe.. I'm not into cop worship as always on the side of truth and justice for all.. ;)
Nice way of saying it's a fucking job.. leave your job at work..
I feel like there is an issue with people driving like jerks when there's no cops around, but driving just fine when the cops are around.
Yesterday I was dropping my gf off at work, there was some traffic going on... And I was patient, hanging behind a school bus. This dude starts driving in the emergency lane all the way in front of me damn near passing that school bus. I was like "WTF".
That kind of shit makes me wish I was a cop soooo many times
Meh...shittt drivers are everywhere. I don't really want cops everywhere.. I urinated in public, behind a parked 18 wheeler in a dark area of a nearly abandoned parking lot last night.. had a cop been there I would now be classified as a 'sex offender' for drinking to much coffee.
Shit drivers should just be executed the third time they get caught in a year. That'll solve the problem.
There are already undercover police vehicles which have lights.
An off-duty police officer is an ordinary person.
Cops using their personal vehicles for official traffic work is a bad idea for many reasons. Lack of control over vehicle specs, liability involving maintenance and who gets sued after an accident are just a few of the nightmare issues that come to mind but I'm sure there are many others.
Besides many agencies already use unmarked vehicles to do exactly what you're suggesting. They also use unmarked vehicles of various makes and models not typically used as police cruisers. But they're vehicles that are spec'd owned and maintained by the agencies. Much less liability that way.
I have worked with police as a Firefighter. If you are expecting higher learning from that direction, don't hold your breath.
If only the cops were willing to pull over those who drive too slow. If you see a long river of angry drivers on your tail, pull the fuck over.
(//http://theherofeed.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/the_police-6001.jpg)
Or as they're now known, Sting.
Quote from: "Fidel_Castronaut"(//http://theherofeed.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/the_police-6001.jpg)
Or as they're now known, Sting.
And that other guy who composes music for Sony Playstation games.
If a cop is on the job, it already has a car with lights. If off the job, it's just another citizen and should not have access to such tools. I had no special rights to gear or documents when not on the job when in the Navy. I didn't deserve to take the boat's small arms or sonar gear with me home.
Quote from: "AllPurposeAtheist"Shitty idea..cops are shitty drivers too when in personal cars..
My cousin was cop and drove like a demon on the highways in his own truck. And he would do it while watching movies on a portable DVD player.
Quote from: "SvZurich"If a cop is on the job, it already has a car with lights. If off the job, it's just another citizen and should not have access to such tools. I had no special rights to gear or documents when not on the job when in the Navy. I didn't deserve to take the boat's small arms or sonar gear with me home.
Yes, but the vehicle that the cop is driving is VERY noticeable and hence catches fewer dickheads
Quote from: "wolf39us"Yes, but the vehicle that the cop is driving is VERY noticeable and hence catches fewer dickheads
Police use unmarked vehicles all the time. Its very common.
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[youtubehd:oycmwluk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6jHUsR9f_k[/youtubehd:oycmwluk]
Yes, I'm aware there exists unmarked cop cars. Many of the unmarked I've seen are the same old "crown-victorias" WITH the spot light still attached. That's not to say that other makes and models aren't around. I just think that there should be MORE unmarked vs marked cars. Also, the unmarked cars shouldn't resemble a standard cop vehicle.
I can spot an unmarked from a good distance usually... why? Because they are the same fucking cars. Hell, I've seen unmarked cars that have the lights installed IN their windshield, completely visible.
They can do a much better job blending in then they do now!
It's very dependent on state laws. In NY, for example, only an official vehicle can show flashing or rotating lights when in motion. Even though a cop with state police power (which a cop in most major cities is) is "on duty" 24/7, whether in or out of uniform, or on or off the clock, he can't run lights on his personal vehicle.
BTW, most cops are not bad drivers, we're atrocious drivers.
QuoteBTW, most cops are not bad drivers, we're atrocious drivers.
Cops cause accidents all the time because they drive distracted, fucking about with the computers in their cars.
I wish I had a dollar for every time I've seen a cop driving while holding a cell phone to his ear.
Shitty drivers, people using cellphones or whatever, will stop doing that when they see a cop. Having cops go around in either unmarked cars or their own vehicles might be a way to write more tickets, but it wouldn't otherwise slow or stop that behavior. And like APA said, off duty cops can be as shitty drivers as anybody else. They use their cellphones and drive stupid just like the other stupid people.
Most shitty drivers watch the brake light in front of them from to close a distance and toss in all the distractions, alcohol, weed, kids, phones, car electronics, etc., and shitty is the new normal. :roll:
Another reason I don't like the idea of letting cops put lights in their POVs is that it introduces uncertainty into the driver's mind when they're being pulled over. Like I said elsewhere, in California, one robbery/rape tactic was to drive behind someone at night and induce them to pull over by flashing headlights int heir rear-view mirror. How much more dangerous those criminals might be if the driver had to pull over because of a police light that the criminal had obtained and installed? The driver could not be certain of the car's legitimacy or not.
Undercover vehicles, with no markings and no exempt registration, should be reserved for undercover investigations only. Traffic enforcement cannot be completely effective because we simply don't have the numbers of officers that would be required.
If you see someone talking on the phone or texting, you could always lay heavy onto your horn and wake them up. I've done that a couple of times and the deer-in-the-headlights look seems to be par for that course. I imagine if enough people did that, you'd see less bullshit driving.
Quote from: "stromboli"Shitty drivers, people using cellphones or whatever, will stop doing that when they see a cop. Having cops go around in either unmarked cars or their own vehicles might be a way to write more tickets, but it wouldn't otherwise slow or stop that behavior. And like APA said, off duty cops can be as shitty drivers as anybody else. They use their cellphones and drive stupid just like the other stupid people.
This. I am more concerned about safe driving than writing tickets.
The best way to keep the road safe is to take away driver's licenses from people who don't drive safely. But somehow people think they have a right to a driver's license or something.
I heard that in the Netherlands you can actually have your driver's license returned to you after it's been taking away if you can show that you need it for your job. That's fucking bullshit. If you need it for your job you should have even more incentive to drive safely since you're on the road even more. Instead, we reward people for being shitty drivers more of the tim by returning their license only if they can show they're being a danger to society more than other people who don't get their license back.
Totally ridiculous.
Quote from: "wolf39us"I was wondering everyone's opinion on a thought I had yesterday (and one that has been reoccurring in my mind).
Should all police officers be "able" to have lights installed in their personal vehicles? I feel like I see a lot of shitty driving on the road all day long, but when there's a cop around, everyone's a god damn saint!
Wouldn't having officers driving around in their personal vehicles be a better deterrent? Bet you didn't know that Honda Civic was a cop! BLUE LIGHTS!
I understand that there is a negative to this (impersonating a police officer)... but surely this could be alleviated with some sort of effective identification. Thoughts?
No and I hate that idea. The problem with that is there are already cases of police abuse. The idea of keeping them marked allows the public to hold them to account. Plus there have also been cases where people fake being cops.
I hate speeders too, so the best thing to do is complain to your local district and while they cant do it every day, if they get enough complaints they will put a speed trap in that area.
While the vast majority of police are honest, I've seen too much history in my life where police make mistakes or have have flat out been corrupt. The public should always have a way to have oversight of government themselves.
I was pulled over once by an unmarked cop car, not long after I got my license when I was 18, and what made it look all that strange that "unmarked cop car" was actually a station wagon with two surf boards on top. I guess the cops need to do some surfing in their spare time where I come from, or they were just out to fool and trap us young larrikins.
Quote from: "wolf39us"Yes, I'm aware there exists unmarked cop cars. Many of the unmarked I've seen are the same old "crown-victorias" WITH the spot light still attached. That's not to say that other makes and models aren't around. I just think that there should be MORE unmarked vs marked cars. Also, the unmarked cars shouldn't resemble a standard cop vehicle.
I can spot an unmarked from a good distance usually... why? Because they are the same fucking cars. Hell, I've seen unmarked cars that have the lights installed IN their windshield, completely visible.
They can do a much better job blending in then they do now!
You are aware that police do other things besides trying to catch people who drive like shit right? For that reason as well as others, it is beneficial to use easily identifiable cars. Also there many other tactics I've seen utilized to catch unsuspecting motorists in the act of driving like asshats which do not require the use of a beat up '72 dodge dart.
I understand what you're trying to accomplish with your idea. But there are potentially large liability issues that make it impractical. There are tons of other quite effective techniques which police could employ if they wanted to. If you feel they're not doing that enough where you live, then perhaps its time for you to get politically active and find out why.
Quote from: "Thumpalumpacus"Another reason I don't like the idea of letting cops put lights in their POVs is that it introduces uncertainty into the driver's mind when they're being pulled over. Like I said elsewhere, in California, one robbery/rape tactic was to drive behind someone at night and induce them to pull over by flashing headlights int heir rear-view mirror. How much more dangerous those criminals might be if the driver had to pull over because of a police light that the criminal had obtained and installed? The driver could not be certain of the car's legitimacy or not.
Young Mitt Romney disagrees. :twisted:
we could save tens of thousands of lives a year simply by getting rid of them cars. They kill innocent people every day. Why not ban them all......
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wrong thread?
:twisted:
Quote from: "aitm"we could save tens of thousands of lives a year simply by getting rid of them cars. They kill innocent people every day. Why not ban them all......
No need to ban them. Just wait about 20 or 40 years, and the cars will all be driving themselves and then most if not all issues caused by bad drivers will be history. Just get in, tell it where you want to go, and then sit back, curl up with a warm bottle of whiskey and slowly numb the pain of your miserable existence while the car drives you safely and efficiently to your destination.
The prospect of it kind of sucks for those of us who drive trucks for a living, but I'll be ready for retirement by that point so I don't really care.
Ban the cars, and wait for Lee Majors to rebuild his race car and dash across America to the Free State of California! :D It will be The Last Race! :D
Or a police department could just have a squad of undercover policemen regularly on duty for the same purpose.
Quote from: "Johan"Quote from: "aitm"we could save tens of thousands of lives a year simply by getting rid of them cars. They kill innocent people every day. Why not ban them all......
No need to ban them. Just wait about 20 or 40 years, and the cars will all be driving themselves and then most if not all issues caused by bad drivers will be history. Just get in, tell it where you want to go, and then sit back, curl up with a warm bottle of whiskey and slowly numb the pain of your miserable existence while the car drives you safely and efficiently to your destination.
The prospect of it kind of sucks for those of us who drive trucks for a living, but I'll be ready for retirement by that point so I don't really care.
I'd guess that in 20 to 40 years most jobs are starting to become obsolete. We're already noticing it now. Makes me glad it's my job right now to build the devices that put people out of work instead of being on the other side.