Personal Vehicles

[zrowe16]

Ok let's say I am a State Police officer and I am "off duty" aka not working my regular shift. If I put LED lights on my car, say a 2009 expedition, in the grille n inside the windshield...could I pull over a driver acting like an idiot on the interstate and then call for an on duty trooper to cite him? I would be in my jurisdiction I'm just asking if I had the badge, gun and police lights and authority would it be LEGAL for me to pull him over if I were in plain clothes?

[Piggy]

There may be some local agencies that may allow something like that in a rural area, but I doubt any State Police agency would allow it for liability purposes. There are a number of different issues. First, most people would not want to stop for a personal vehicle with just LED lights. Usually it requires more that just one light. An agency may have Troopers assigned to an Expedition which is owned by the State, that would be a whole different story. If you are asking about lights in a personal vehicle, I would say that is doubtful.

[Citicop]

I have never met a real cop who put lights on his personal vehicle. When you get into the Academy and get hired, you'll see that this is seen as "wannabe" behavior by cops (at least in my area it is).

Legality wise, I have police authority statewide, 24/7. My department discourages routine traffic enforcement per policy, though. So I could do it, but I would probably get in trouble at work for it (not to mention become a joke to all my peers).

Seriously. 8 hours a day in a car with lights and sirens is plenty.

-Citicop.

[kendral77]

In the state of Indiana, legally to pull over a vehicle for a traffic infraction, the officer has to be either in full uniform, or be in a fully marked vehicle.

[Piggy]

I do remember one traffic blitz when we didn't have enough cars. I was running a stationary radar out of a 1980's K-Car Station Wagon with woodgrain panels. I was not stopping cars with it though, just had the radar hanging out the window calling out cars. It was quite entertaining.

[mcsap]

So... did you get pulled over by someone in an unmarked Expedition who was not in uniform ??

[GoDirectly2Jail]

Must be in uniform displaying your badge of authority in Virginia.

[kels]

A real LEO would call the nice dispatcher on his cell phone
and report the problem.

I am not playing superman in my pov and exposing my family
to danger. This is real life, not the movies.

[Ispbear]

If you were a police officer, you would know the answer to that question. Therefor I will assume you were the "driver acting like an idot." How would you know it was an off duty officer and not a detective or agent in his issued vehicle and plain clothes?

[mcsap]

In my state it is " preferable " that I be in uniform to make a traffic stop. I do not wear a uniform and my cruiser is not the police version. Yet it has lights and siren and I still know how to write a traffic ticket.

[Legoate]

I would never make a traffic stop in my personal vehicle.

I have, however, made stops in unmarked beater vehicles that nobody would ever know is a police car. My favorite to drive while working undercover gigs was an oxidized POS Pontiac Grand Am. The only problem is that it's so scrotey that when I'd sit surveillance in it people would call the police to complain about it being in the neighborhood.

[TheDeuce]

You also have to worry about what your specific dept. policy says about off duty and traffic enforcement, as well as warning the public (Nevada says you need emergency lights, but many dept's say that you also need a siren before doing lawful police actions). And I don't think many departments right now are willing to chug out $1,000+ per officer who wants to outfit their POV. Too much hassle all around.