Undercover LEO cars

[richb]

just curious as to what some of your undercover/unmarked cars are in your dept? you DONT have to name your dept. in my county i have seen newer expeditions, dodge chargers, chevy impala, chevy malibu, chevy monte carlo, ford taurus. ive seen a few rare ones like a jeep patriot and a ford mustang gt.....do some officers use a POV that is approved by the chief? i know i've heard that if you want to use your personal vehicle and get sirens/lights/strobes installed that you take full responsibility if your car is damaged/stolen, etc.

[just joe]

Using a POV on a regular basis is a lawsuit waiting to happen. We use Impalas.

[SCSO612]

First, understand that there is a difference between undercover and unmarked.

Undercover- A normal everyday car with no markings, special license plates, radios, lights, sirens, etc.

Unmarked- A typical LE vehicle (Impala, CV, Charger, Expedition, etc.) that has a full compliment of radios and sirens but has no exterior markings or lights. Lights are typically interior mounted.

Unmarked cars are very easily detected, therefore are impractical for an undercover officer that relies on his cover to stay alive and do his job.

[LA DEP]

POVs are expressly prohibited for use under our policy.

You would be more than slightly foolish to use your own car anyway, as your insurance company would drop you like a bad habit as soon as they found out about it.

As far as undercover cars go, you will see anything and everything being used here......most of our true U/C vehicles are ones that have been seized from various criminal operations.

[LeanG]

Some departments use both foreign and domestic cars. I hope that narrowed it down for you

[AZLawDawg]

Anything and everything, and then some.

[ArkansasFan24]

We also have a policy against using POVs for law enforcement uses, and the previous police agency I worked with had the same. I belive it's only tv when you see cool detectives driving around in their own Torinos and so forth.

RDEP said what I was going to say when I stumbled across your question. We don't use "undercover" vehicles because we don't need them. We're not an outwardly investigative agency. However, I previously worked with officers who drove "pimped out" Cadillacs, Impalas, a regular Alero, and a tricked out Mustang. They had nothing police-related other than undercover cops driving them.

[PhilipCal]

Anything and everything, and then some.

X-2. No POV's used----EVER!!

[HEDP]

.

Why would you want to beat up your own car for work?



If someone ever said, "Let's use your car."


I'd be like......"Uhm....hell no!"
.

[Kimble]

....do some officers use a POV that is approved by the chief? i know i've heard that if you want to use your personal vehicle and get sirens/lights/strobes installed that you take full responsibility if your car is damaged/stolen, etc.

In AL there is (or was as of 2007) a law allowing a county sheriff to approve what vehicles could have blue lights/sirens. I had a guy in one of my police academies who had lights/siren in his personal pickup, and had it approved by his county sheriff (he worked for a small PD in that county). Of course, he had to remove the police package from his pickup when he was fired prior to completing the academy for cheating on pop quizzes. He was the type of guy you knew something was going to lead to his getting fired, but it was anyone's guess what as to what [email protected]$$ thing he'd do that would finally do him in.

[brad8e]

I've used my POV with permission from my chief for details, just stuck a magnetic light bar from the station on my truck and go about my day. Not all departments have ample amount of cars with officers going to schools and court.

[Sleuth]

We had concealed lights and sirens in our unmarked cars. If I unplugged the radio mike and put it in the trunk, you could sit in it and never know it was fully equipped.
I drove a Mercedes Benz 450SEL for a couple of years, we had some Porsches, all seized. We even had an undercover (no lights/siren) 18 wheeler or two. If it had wheels and a motor, we used them.

[ShantyIrish]

Anything from unmarked police cars to just about any vehicle on the road, through assest forfeiture. Hell, we just scored a Chevy Top Kick 4500 diesel dually. Should make for a very inconspicuous surveillance vehicle....

[Lawfficer]

My agency uses just about anything you can think of for undercover vehicles. Certain types of POVs are authorized for LE use.

[ateamer]

If I was undercover, I'd drive a white Honda Civic. That has got to be the most common car on the road around here and will never stand out.