I was just wondering what exactly would make a vehicle "qualify" for being pulled over etc for supposidly impersonating the police/fbi etc. I know of someone who has a dark blue crown vic, it has numerous aerials, extra round red lights mounted on the trunk and brush guard & spotlamp on the front. I know it does not have a police plate on it but it could very easily be mistaken for a police car. I know he has had it for at least a year or so & I am amazed that he has not got into trouble for it. Any ideas?

 

Obviously laws will vary from state to state, but I'd say if this knuckle head is running around lights and siren a blaring, he's gonna "qualify" for getting majorly busted sooner or later.

 

I always see people driving around here in houston in i suppose what you would call decommissioned police vehicles. I guess they get sold at an auction or something. Many of them still have multiple antennas and the spotlights on the doors. Also many of them you can still see the outline of the law enforcemnet decals that were on the vehicles. Very easy to mistake them for a real police cruiser.

 

Police probably figure it keeps people honest even if no police action occurs. Like a placebo pill. Funniest thing I saw in North Carolina near Raleigh I think or Durham, an older police Jeep parked on the grass just over a hill. You shoulda seen the people slowing down before they realized no-one is even in it and who uses a 1988 Cherokee as a real police car?

 

It really varies by state and as long as he is not running around with red and blues trying to pull people over and acting like a fool everything should be fine. It is funny to watch people dynamite the brakes when they are speeding and you pass them going the other direction.

 

The Michigan State Police were running them up here for quite a few years because they could take them down snowmobile and four wheeler trails.

 

Flagstaff, AZ tried using an empty patrol car parked along the State highway running west out of town in an effort to appear like a speed trap and slow people down heading into town. They gave up when someone unlocked the car, put a box of doughnuts on the passenger seat and relocked the car.

Seriously! It was in the news several years ago when it happened.

 

As long as all lights and markings on it are legal on civilian vehicles, there shouldn't be an issue.

LF, I saw something similar on the IL Tollway several years back - they were parking "drones" on the shoulder (out of service cruisers with a dummy in the driver's seat and an old radar unit on the dash). Went by one on my way to work one morning and there was a Dunkin Donuts box on the hood.

 

I doubt he is breaking any law without having police sticker, siren and blue lights.

That being said there have been a few times over the years poeple have impersonated the police and pulled someone over in an attempt to rob or even rape/kidnap them. If something like that happens in your area your friend would make the suspect list for sure!

 

There was one that I swear never moved in Orlando on International Drive down by the water parks and resteraunts it was in the same place every year when I came back.

 

Is this the car?

 

FWIW, One time about 15 years ago I saw a 'staged' traffic stop by the CHP, clearly designed to slow traffic.

It was on a downhill stretch of freeway where people routinely sped. They had a silver Nissan Maxima 'pulled over' with a dummy in the seat, and a CHP car behind the Maxima with the lights on.

It backed up the morning drive some. I realized it was fake when I had to drive the same stretch of road later in the day and the same cars were still there. Upon a closer inspection, the driver and officer were mannequins.

Must have been a failed experiment in California, because I've never seen it done again. I imagine if someone got rear-ended they would sue the state.

 

There is a small town on Texas Highway 26 heading west outside of Georgetown that has done something of the "clone" nature.

They had an older Crown Vic squad car that had been decommissioned, and placed it behind some bushed on the outskirts of town, but only at night.

When you top the hill and make the curve leading into town, your lights just barely reflect off the car. I saw so many people slam their brakes.

I laughed and drove on by.

 

That is hilarious, I might have to try that.

They do that in the small towns out here. But since a good part of their income is based on ticket revenue you can't wiggle out of them very easily.

 

Several years ago our local PD was parking old units at key, major intersections to discourage red light runners and speeders. The practice stopped shortly after the local paper ran a picture of this unmanned unit with a box of do-nuts on the roof.