[Closed] Unmarked police cars (legal question)

Because one is provided to catch speeders, the other is provided to deter them.

Have you just got nicked then?

IF your talking about legalities

Legally any car can become a police car. No markings, blues or twos are needed for it to be used as a police car. Merely the fact it "is" being used at that time for police business makes it a police vehicle..

(its worthwhile bearing in mind that unmarked police vehicles have a multidude of uses.. not(and rarely) are they JUST for catching speeders)

With regards to safety cameras I beleive its easier to prove there usefullness if they are placed at specific points fully marked in order that they are slowing down folk by being seen rather than just catching folk...

They don't [i]have[/i] to be, only if they want to keep the money.

samuri:
Because one is provided to catch speeders, the other is provided to deter them.

Succinct.

[hijack]

I've just had a case dismissed in court this morning, there is justice in this land......

Plod - we want to prosecute you
Me - what evidence have you got?
Plod - lot's
Me - let's see then
Plod - errr, you can't
Me - why
Plod - dunno really, can't be disclosed
Me - wtf!
Magistrate - yeah, wtf plod! case dismissed

8 months of sweaty bollox to get to that stage

[/hijack]

there are guidelines I read at some point about whether of not you have to pull over for an unmarked car.

I think the gist was that if you don't believe it is a real police car you should let them know that you've seen them, then drive to somewhere well lit and public - or even better, to a police station.

How this would work in practice, I don't know. Likely to result in an american style shunt manoeuvre or a stinger 🙂

Dave

oooh tell us more? How come it even went to court? When did you first ask them for evidence?

Concealed surveillance equipment would be equivalent to "bugging" and be subject to the laws controlling that, whereas actual bobbies in a car is just yer basic law enforcement.

(I have no idea if this is true, I'm just speculating)

iDave - must be more to it than 'We'd hoped you'd have pleaded guilty before it got to court'???

[url= https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q587.htm ]https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q587.htm[/url]

alabus... that is indeed the general gist. However in reality what would happen is the vehicle would call for a marked station to arrive to stop you.

Idave.. dont know how the English system works fully but in scotland everything disclosable to the defence would be fully disclosed within the copy complaint (ie before the trail)

Likely to result in an american style shunt manoeuvre or a stinger

WTF! If you don't stop for them There is no way they'd be able to catch you with a stinger!

WTF! If you don't stop for them There is no way they'd be able to catch you with a stinger!

WTF! If they've caught you why would they use a stinger?

CM - yeah, I guess so... I was thinking maybe if they got carried away and rolled out the troops for an OJ Simpson style slow speed chase 🙂

Having been pulled over quite a few times, I don't imagine the officer's attitude would have been improved if I had waved cheerily out of the window to them, and driven on for another couple of miles to find a supermarket.

Dave

WTF! If you don't stop for them There is no way they'd be able to catch you with a stinger!
WTF! If they've caught you why would they use a stinger?

erm... they wouldn't?

erm... they wouldn't?

Exactly my point, so do you know how a stinger works? Because this [i]WTF! If you don't stop for them There is no way they'd be able to catch you with a stinger![/i] makes no sense.

I think he meant that they wouldn't be able to use a stinger because there is only one car chasing and they are behind you.... they need to be in front and ready for you, which requires their mates to come and help.

yes, I know how a stinger works!
A lad up the road used to have one, I'd like to see how you / he / the police would stop or catch a car with it! Especially if the car was actually trying to get away.

Precisely Alfa which is why the comment [i]There is no way they'd be able to catch you with a stinger[/i] makes no sense.

[url= http://www.gosafe.org/ ]http://www.gosafe.org/[/url]

For you molgrips. Might help you understand the (safety) cameras a bit better.

I made phone and written requests for the evidence to be disclosed.

Then it went to court - they didn't disclose before or during, they just repeated the charge. So it was adjourned and they gave an undertaking to disclose all evidence before the next court date.

That was this morning, all they did was send a letter 2 weeks ago saying can't be disclosed.

Magistrate stated that I had taken reasonable steps to see the evidence to allow me to make a plead, but plod had not provided. Case dismissed.

And even if they radioed for the bloke on a stinger, he'd not catch you.

I wonder if you blokes have even seen a stinger or seen one in use!

yes, I know how a stinger works!
A lad up the road used to have one, I'd like to see how you / he / the police would stop or catch a car with it! Especially if the car was actually trying to get away.

Clearly you don't then.

They radio the directions a car is heading that they are pursuing, at a point where they know the car will head and has no other choice other officers will prepare the stinger trap. Once the car being chased is close enough the throw it across the road.

I wonder if you blokes have even seen a stinger or seen one in use!

Yes I have.

[i]if they radioed for the bloke on a stinger, he'd not catch you.[/i]

you are rather assuming that every police car/bike in the county is [i]behind[/i] him when the situation starts aren't you?

well... I thought I knew what CM meant, but now I am confused.

Are you saying that cars cannot be stopped with a stinger (which I believe is its primary purpose)?

Or are you saying what I thought you said, which was that one chasing car cannot catch someone with a stinger, because they are (by definition) behind?

Dave

There was a great to do in the media when the requirement to make cameras highly visible came in. When that law was changed abslutely nothing seemed to be said. I only found out about the change by chance when reading something. So watch out for a wheelie bin near you now housing a camera (they've been known in horse boxes).

You're all mad!!! Even Lance Armstrong wouldn't catch me if he was on this
[img] [/img]

Idave,.,. thats crazy!!

Presumably you were defending yourself??

In scotland certainly all info regarding the incident is on an SPR which the defence have access to..

Hey ho tho.. If it gets you off...

lol

And CM you must have the wrong end of the stick regarding theses stingers.. Drac speaketh the truth.

A stinger

[img] [/img]

lol! Now thats an awesome stinger!!

Oh that! Yes, that would stop me.

i love it when a joke backfires.

Ah I see it was a 'joke'.

I loved this one:

[url= https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q676.htm ]Q676: Can I be arrested by a police officer if he/she is not wearing a hat?[/url]

So they Mr "Pious" Mol - have you been snapped then? 😉

The thing with cops is, there are loads of them. So they can organise and work together. Lots of crims seem not to realise this, if you go by Police Camera Action 🙂

I have not been stopped for speeding, I saw someone on the opposite carriageway this morning having been pulled over, as I cruised past at 70mph. I can't help wondering why people get pulled over - speeding or something more interesting...

My understanding is that speed cameras only have to be clearly visible (ie painted yellow) under the hypothication scheme if the local force wants to keep the revenue from the camera. They don't have to be painted yellow but, if they aren't, then the revenue raised from fines goes to HM Treasury.

I could, however, be wrong...

So idave, was this a police mistake? ie you weren't where they say you were doing what they say you were doing....or did you do it but didn't fancy the fine/points?

A sincerely well done, there is indeed justice.

B hmm.....well you're pushing it with the justice comment.

Having been pulled over quite a few times, I don't imagine the officer's attitude would have been improved if I had waved cheerily out of the window to them, and driven on for another couple of miles to find a supermarket.

If a policeman when confronted by this reasonable excuse for not stopping cannot control his attitude I'd struggle to understand why he's in his job. There's a clear difference between making a run for it and simply driving normally to the next built up area.

To iDave. Keep your nose clean for the next 5 years then. They'll be out for you!

donk - I disputed being where they said I was at the time they said in the car they said. As I lived and worked alone at the time, I had no alibi, the gatso/photo evidence was vital. Seems like it turned out to be non-evidence.

Hypothecation is no more.

Grants is where it's at.

Cash still goes to Mr Osbourne (not Ozzy) tho'

[i]My understanding is that speed cameras only have to be clearly visible (ie painted yellow) under the hypothication scheme if the local force wants to keep the revenue from the camera[/i]

I thought they were allowed to keep the money irrespective but only if they spend it on riot shields and tear gas.

I can't help wondering why people get pulled over - speeding or something more interesting...

Do you not watch Road Wars? 😉

It seems to be usually the ANPR flag something up (Marker on vehicle, no tax/insurance, driver wanted etc) so they give them a tug just for a chat, then discover there's a bit more to it.

I saw one recently where the car had a no insurance maker on it, so they pulled him. He was obvioulsy cacking himself and lying, then a quick search of the vehicle found 2 bags of uncut coke/heroin worth hundreds of thousands. 5 Years inside for the driver......

See, crims are, by and large, thick as 2 short planks and bone idle. Which is why an unmarked car can make easy catches like that.....

I'd prefer a unmaked police car in place of every camera on the roads, TBH, simply becasue they catch more than just speeders.