Wickenburg PD just acquired this cruiser. I first saw it last week, approaching it from the rear as it was doing a traffic stop. Plenty of red and blue lights flashing to the front and rear, but no light bar. From the rear, it looked just like an unmarked cruiser. As I passed, I noticed the department decal, which is reflective (though that does not show up well in this picture). This morning, they were parked at Safeway for a marathon (runners) detail. With their permission, I snapped this shot. Could not get further away to take in the whole car because of cactus.
 

 

These cars are becoming very popular because they don't scream "Police" yet are still considered a marked cruiser.

I know a few PD's up in CT got a few "stealth" marked vehicles, though I think the ones I saw were the SUV's.

I think they're pretty slick looking, and it's a decent compromise (for the moment, anyway.)

I can't speak for all jurisdictions, but I know in some places unmarked vehicles can't pull you over. These stealth vehicles seem to straddle that middle ground, they're much more subtle but still "marked".

Cool! My first thought on seeing this vehicle (with no lights going) would be, "Wow, the markings sure left a lot of residue behind before that car was auctioned-off."

They got away from exterior light bars on police cruisers a decade ago. Easier to wash them, better aerodynamics etc.......But most all of the cars are two tone color and well marked here.

 
Wickenburg PD is pretty up to date. When I moved out here in 2002, I was expecting bubble gum machine lights on top of their cruisers.
 

This is my Brother talking about his Departments'

I think Arizona DPS is using some of these "stealth" vehicles as well. He didn't use the stealth word, but one of the troopers on the show Live PD noted that his Ford Explorer had markings only visible in good light at the right angle, no exterior light bar, etc.

We have quite a few in Houston & the surrounding area, in black and white.
Usually, it's still pretty easy to discern them as LE, due to the typical package: LE package cars/trucks with black steel wheels, work truck level trim, etc.

Yes, and they generate revenue quite well. I've seen the one you photographed issuing invitations to contribute not long ago.

The State Troopers just north of Wickenberg aren't doing a bad job in their Explorers, either, on the straight stretch.

Run through there every two weeks.

Maine State Police have been using unmarked vehicles for quite a while. Whats new for them however, is that they have some vehicles with non Police license plates.

When you come up on the back of these, there's no way to tell it's a cop.

My wife said that she'd refuse to pull over for one of those vehicles. I just wonder how'd that play out in court.

quote:

Originally posted by TheFrontRange:
Cool! My first thought on seeing this vehicle (with no lights going) would be, "Wow, the markings sure left a lot of residue behind before that car was auctioned-off."

That was my thought, too.

There are plenty of second-hand police cars on the roads here, and since the Ford Crown Victoria looked the same for so long, it's an open question if any particular squad car is legit. Same for Chevies. In fact, my town recently acquired a real old Ford (unmarked, white) and put it into service making traffic stops. I doubt they paid more than $1,000 or it.

Here in this part of Illinois they'll stop you no matter if their vehicle is marked or not, and I'm sure that more than one chase has resulted from fear that somebody was about to become a robbery or kidnapping victim.

Great looking graphics on that squad car!

quote:

Originally posted by Gibb:


My wife said that she'd refuse to pull over for one of those vehicles. I just wonder how'd that play out in court.

Just tell her to turn on her hazards and slow down and find a gas station or the like, and pull over there...

many people are worried about getting pulled by someone with a bluelight and not really being the cops....

if you call 911 on your phone and tell them that you are being stopped and that you are pulling to a better location and you have you hazards on, 911 will radio the cars in their area and advise them....the issue is when you have state troopers who are dispatched out of elsewhere and they don't call in all their stops..and they don't check in with the local 911 centers...most of the time they (troopers) scan the local PD/Sheriffs channels. So they will at least hear the car in front of them is complying and not running..

The super Buffy Fire Marshall's where I work have an asinine vehicle like that. A large white SUV that you can barely read a big "Fire Marshall" across the side. Why in the hell would they need that? lmao

Houston has had the ghost cars for a few years now I believe.

my township has one. The city just uses confiscated cars or Ford Fusions for dicks, vice, etc. In Ohio, you don't have to stop for anything without a lightbar. Narcs, gangs, vice, dicks, all have to call for a marked unit to do a traffic stop.

They let you take the picture, but now they have to...

Arizona DPS has a few of those as well. They've also have a totally unmarked bright yellow Mustang GT and bright red Dodge Challenger RT that I've seen them running around Phoenix.

quote:

Originally posted by xwesler:
I can't speak for all jurisdictions, but I know in some places unmarked vehicles can't pull you over. These stealth vehicles seem to straddle that middle ground, they're much more subtle but still "marked".

I actually have a problem with these units for that very reason. In my area, unmarked vehicles are not supposed to pull you over yet they’re doing it with these vehicles. They’re clearly breaking the spirit of the law. When you’re charged with enforcing the law, that sends a bad signal.

Little piece of trivia: decades ago, the NHL began requiring that player’s names be on the back of jerseys. Teams resisted and pulled the same shit as above; names stitched on in the same color as the background in order to make it difficult to discern. That lasted about one game