Fake cops on the road

I think there are enough posts here to demonstrate common sense when ‘pulled over’. However this incident would have been difficult to avoid, they could have easily done the same thing when stopped at traffic lights (without dashboard flashers).

Considering the stupidity of the offence, i don’t think it will take long for the police to pull them over for something else and find the lights.

wildturkeycanoe said :

Okay,
So I’m a single woman with a 1 y.o in the back seat, driving along “XXX” gully road at 10:30pm. I see red and blue and flashing lights in my mirror, then think back to this story and many like it. What do I do? Pull over to be abused by idiots intent to have their fun with me? Get on my phone to call the police [an offence in itself] to go through various menus to speak to someone who hasn’t got a clue? Keep driving the speed limit until I get home 45 minutes later to be arrested for fail to stop for police? It’s getting way too hard for a normal law abiding citizen to know the difference between real and “fake” police actions. Vulnerable people like myself wouldn’t know the difference between a real police badge and a fake. Can you say you’d know the difference, especially at night when the car is an old Ford Falcon painted mica blue?
I keep NSW Police on my speed dial now, just in case this happens to me but how many out there would panic or get sucked in by possible hooligans?
What a world…where’s Mel and the pursuit vehicle when we need him?

It’s not an offence in the case of an emergency, or for a reasonable excuse.

Why would you go home with a car that has flashing blue and red lights following you? If you have any suspicions then go to the nearest Police station, there not really that far from any where in Canberra.

Red and blue LED Strobe $10 on ebay….

For a fully marked car it’s not hard to tell, even at night. As others have said you have big roof lights and the headlights flash alternately.

It is a bit harder for an unmarked car but they should have lights on the dash and in the grill. I would suggest that after the lights come on if you didn’t pull over within a few seconds you’d get the siren as well – unmarked cars still have sirens.

When you pull over for an unmarked car, it should be pretty easy to tell when the person comes to the car. Most of these (quite rare) stunts appear to be performed by teens who surely wouldn’t come across as a real cop when you saw them up close. I certainly don’t think they would know how to talk like one either.

If the person walking to your car isn’t in uniform and is in plain clothes, they should still be wearing their pistol, baton etc on their belt.

If you’re unsure and concerned, keep the doors locked and put the window down a little bit to talk until you can confirm the identify of the person. A plain clothes officer will have their badge handy if you ask to see it. They should also have a photo id card with AFP insignia, their rank, name etc.

The first thing a real cop will do is explain why you have been pulled over. When the pimply kid says “get out of the car” that would be a giveaway. For a routine traffic stop Police will almost never ask you to get out of the car. At night if you haven’t been speeding or doing something else, most likely it would be for an RBT – which means they would be holding a small yellow/black device when they come to the car.

Okay,
So I’m a single woman with a 1 y.o in the back seat, driving along “XXX” gully road at 10:30pm. I see red and blue and flashing lights in my mirror, then think back to this story and many like it. What do I do? Pull over to be abused by idiots intent to have their fun with me? Get on my phone to call the police [an offence in itself] to go through various menus to speak to someone who hasn’t got a clue? Keep driving the speed limit until I get home 45 minutes later to be arrested for fail to stop for police? It’s getting way too hard for a normal law abiding citizen to know the difference between real and “fake” police actions. Vulnerable people like myself wouldn’t know the difference between a real police badge and a fake. Can you say you’d know the difference, especially at night when the car is an old Ford Falcon painted mica blue?
I keep NSW Police on my speed dial now, just in case this happens to me but how many out there would panic or get sucked in by possible hooligans?
What a world…where’s Mel and the pursuit vehicle when we need him?

While it has been many many years since Ive been pulled over by a police officer, Ive never been pulled over with a siren, and they generally do tailgate you, but you are correct they dont flash the high beams, the high beams alternately flash at you, but thats done by the car not the driver. Surely you should know the answers to this question better than most.

The answer to what question?

Until they read this on the intertubes or hear it on the radio and decide to move the lights behind their grille or the sunvisor.

Already behind the grille.

Holden Caulfield said :

The Frots said :

Throw in some parts of Tassie as well – just in case!

Oh, you’ve been to Rossarden too?

I remember driving near Rossarden on our way down to St Helens. Dad would go “Lock your door, we’re near Rossarden!!” Most of the Rossarden boys are in jail these days though.

dpm said :

“…She continued driving, and was overtaken by the suspicious vehicle, whose occupants threw objects at the woman%u2019s car before speeding away along the Monaro Highway….”

Cheap said :

I say good on ’em. Sounds like a bit of a laugh.

Huh? Yeah, I would have p*#sed myself with laughter if she had of veered off the road into a ditch! Hahaha…? Good wind-up…..

Cheap said :

Anyone who responds to being pulled over by veering off the road into a ditch really shouldn’t be driving

In your heightened state of driver awareness, you seem to have overlooked the fact that objects are also being lobbed at the car.

The Frots said :

Throw in some parts of Tassie as well – just in case!

Oh, you’ve been to Rossarden too?

dpm said :

“…She continued driving, and was overtaken by the suspicious vehicle, whose occupants threw objects at the woman’s car before speeding away along the Monaro Highway….”

Cheap said :

I say good on ’em. Sounds like a bit of a laugh.

Huh? Yeah, I would have p*#sed myself with laughter if she had of veered off the road into a ditch! Hahaha…? Good wind-up…..

Anyone who responds to being pulled over by veering off the road into a ditch really shouldn’t be driving