Be On The Lookout For "Camo Cops"?

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (AP) -- State police are taking to the woods, dressed in camouflage and armed.

But the weapons are radar guns, the quarry is speeders and the season never closes.

Police at the Rockview Barracks near State College began using so-called "camo cops" patrols after a 44-vechicle crash on Interstate

80 that killed six people in January.

"As a result, there were many, many letters and questions and fingerpointing -- What are you doing? What are you not doing enough of?" said Lt. Jeffrey Watson, station commander.

The tactic is catching on with state police in other counties.

In one five-hour blitz in Indiana County last week, troopers issued 25 citations to motorists zooming along at least 15 miles faster than the posted 55 mph limit -- including one lead foot cited for going 90 mph.

"It's going to continue throughout the summer months," said Shawn Houck, a spokesman with the state transportation department, which partnered with the barracks.

Patrick '93 Cobra '83 LTD

Reply to
Patrick
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Speed limit plus 15, huh? I always knew they gave us an extra 10...

May deer ticks crawl up their butts.

dwight

Reply to
dwight

at 04 Jun 2004, dwight [ snipped-for-privacy@netXero.net] wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@uni-berlin.de:

They are sneaky down here in Tampa Bay already. Some dress up as homeless, utility workers or as one who'se car has broken down along the road. Armed with a lasergun and radio they'll direct chase cars up the road who to snatch for what speed.

radar detectors appear to be pretty useless against laser guns. By the time they beep, you've already been tagged... :-(

Reply to
Paul

-snip-

San Antonio, TX PD has been doing something very similar for at least 1 year. They have traffic/road rage units that are painted any color other than black or white and then they "ghost paint" the SAPD logo and such to make them less noticeable. They do a pretty fair job of blending in with traffic.

I agree with your sentiments Dwight, even though I (very rarely, now I mostly deal with arson) do patrol work. I wouldn't count on your +15 though. Most traffic guys I know will let +10 slide but +15 would be stretching it. I know a lot of veteran state troopers and county officers who'll let +15 slide but I also know a few that won't let you get by with +6. Even I don't push +15 in my county, you never know when you might have an encounter with one of the anal, supercop +6 guys. I wouldn't get the ticket, worse, I'd have to "stand before the man" and risk a reprimand.

Speaking of fire investigation... I investigated a house fire in September

2002 that was accidental. The home owner also had a *mint* chrome yellow 2003 Cobra with barely any miles on it. Unfortunately the car was parked right next to house... there's nothing worse than seeing the carcass of a once magnificent car. To make a bad thing even worse, the owner had just sold the car on Fleabay and the new owner was flying in to town the next day to pick it up...

bill Car: '64.5 Mustang: 260 V8, 3 sp, factory a/c, SVO cam, Performer intake, Holley 390 cfm carb, Pertronix, Hi-Po exhaust manifolds, 1.5" front & 1" rear drop, Jacobs wires, Torq Thrust D's

Guns: Colt AR15, Sig P220, Moss. 590A1, Marlin 70P

Reply to
bill

Dressed in Camo and hiding in the bushes.....

I hope it isn't hunting season around there.

Steve

Patrick wrote:

Reply to
steve

I guess it all depends upon where you are... The story was about state police outside of Pittsburgh, PA (I live outside of Philly). I remember hearing that the state mandated that no drivers be pulled over for speeding less than 10 over the posted limit, so I almost always run at that speed. Even at that, I'd be counted among the slower cars on the highways...

My daily commute, in part, is on a newer highway, one that was built with an eye toward speed traps. Of course, that means that we all know where these traps are, and there are very few places along the highway for a trooper to set up a "surprise". We routinely run 75 to 90mph (posted 55) until we approach the cut-outs, where we slow it down to 65. Only the folks who are just passin' through (and, thus, don't know the spots) are likely to be caught.

Driving down to Tennessee for the show, I kept doing my +10 all the way. Interstate speed limit was 70, so I was generally up around 80. What gave me pause was the fact that I was suddenly driving somewhat faster than the majority! I wondered whether Tennessee, as New Jersey supposedly is, is a no-leeway state about speed limits... Seemed as though everyone else was moving at about the posted speed limit. That just doesn't happen in PA.

dwight

Reply to
dwight

This is typical of most cash-strapped municipalities these days. After a big wreck, they use the incident to justify a 'crack-down' on speeders. Big Trucks are always a target as well, because citations issued to a Class A driver yield 3-4 times the revenue than Class C drivers.

Follow the bucks and you will see the logic.

Whatever happened to the Highway Patrol's mission to serve the motoring public? I used to see them assisting people changing flat tires, giving directions, push starting people with dead batteries, things like that. Now all they do is harass truckers, write cites to generate revenue, and generally act like horse's asses when they're not doing one of the above.

I'd like to push some of the blame for collision rates onto the DMV. They rarely pull licences anymore. It used to be that driving was a privilage, and unless you could demonstrate proficiency, you weren't granted a licence. Not any more!

Bleh. Driving used to be fun, and those with licences used to be proficient. Now it's little more than a revenue game.

-JD

________________________________________________________ | | | 1998 Laser Red GT RAMFM Member Since 1998 | | M-5400-A Suspension http:/207.13.104.8/users/jdadams || Subframe Connectors & Seat Bracing, Strut Tower Brace || 4-point K-frame Brace, Tremec T-45 & OEM 3.27:1 Gears ||________________________________________________________|

Reply to
JD Adams

This is true, but in PA, there is no real highway patrol as in California. They are full police officers, and in some areas, the only police officers. Where my mom lives (Collegeville, out probably close to Dwight), there is no local police force, but she lives right by a state police barracks. They patrol the local roads in the same manner. They deal with non-traffic-related issues as well... domestic disputes, theft, murder, you name it. They're also the only force in PA that's allowed to use radar to detect vehicle speed, unless this changed very recently.

On another note, I'm pretty sure that at least the local boys around here aren't even allowed to get out of the car to help someone with a car problem. I've been told that by one of them (when I was having a car problem), but I don't know if it was out of laziness or rules.

All this from the state that you can't get a 6-pack in a convenience store, and you can't buy hard liquor anywhere but a state-operated liquor store.

JS

Reply to
JS

On Sat, 05 Jun 2004 06:49:11 GMT, "JS" wrote something wonderfully witty:

Well I live in another one of those State sanctioned booze business States. However, we can buy a 6-pack at a convenience store. Anyhow, that being said, the State Police in Va have started a Motorists Assistance program. It is a separately marked car with a Non-Sworn Officer driving. I think the position pays ~$25K a year last time I saw an add for an open position. They have the basic skills and supplies to get most motors back on the road. Around here it appears there are a lot of dumb asses who run out of gas.

Reply to
ZombyWoof

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