Police Taxi's?

[TrenchFeeder]

I've seen an increasing number of "Taxi Cabs" all of a sudden flip on their blue and reds and pull somebody over.

The vehicles are marked with the name of a real taxi company and look like a taxi in every way except when they flip on the police lights.

Is that not against the rules for municipal police to use misleading vehicles to make stops? At least using the name and reputation of a real company, which I have purposely not named to keep the secret. I was told this is entrapment, is that true?

I have seen state police regularly use civilian vehicles, but never a municipal department.

 

[milaw]

I do not know IL law but in MI that would not be illegal or improper. As to the rep of the company being tarnished, maybe the company welcomes the idea because they are sick of their cabbies being victimized?

It couldn't be further from entrapment - Entrapment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[bwjmackie]

Halton Regional Police just west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada got caught impersonating a cab a little while ago.

Taxi police trap, be careful! Halton Region - RedFlagDeals.com Forums

 

[TrenchFeeder]

Was simply curious. The area where I live is not a high crime area, it just seemed out of the ordinary for them to do

 

[bezking]

We have at least one of those in my county... For a while the windows weren't tinted, you could see inside the whole thing, lights and everything...

 

[Astro25]

Trench, I'm curious - what county/city are you seeing this in?

 

[Squad10]

Are you certain it was municiple police? I would like to know the municipality name too.

 

[gewecke]

If a taxi lights you up with red& blue's then you better being calling 911 to ask if they're legit...and DO NOT stop until you find out otherwise!
Many motorists have been carjacked and worse because of this kind of crap!

 

[kevino]

Keep the secret?

Not sure I understand the need to keep the identity of the cab company or department a secret. Should it be? There will still be plenty of ignorant folks out there for this agency to pull over. If nothing else, publicizing the names of the municipality and cab company might make folks adhere to the Rules of the Road a little more closely - and that really what this PD wants, right? ;-) Also, no guarantee that this is the only cab company that this department is 'impersonating'. Perhaps they're also picking up fares to help with the bottom line? Gives new meaning to the term 'Tijuana Taxi'.

Please let the rest of us in on this dirty little 'secret', TrenchFeeder.....

OTP: AAA Universal Taxi (Addison) - 153.545 (base), 153.930 (cars)

I've seen an increasing number of "Taxi Cabs" all of a sudden flip on their blue and reds and pull somebody over.

The vehicles are marked with the name of a real taxi company and look like a taxi in every way except when they flip on the police lights.

Is that not against the rules for municipal police to use misleading vehicles to make stops? At least using the name and reputation of a real company, which I have purposely not named to keep the secret. I was told this is entrapment, is that true?

I have seen state police regularly use civilian vehicles, but never a municipal department.

 

[TrenchFeeder]

The taxi company is "American Taxi"

I've seen them mostly in Cook County, in the Mabas Div 24 area. Homewood, Flossmoor, East Hazelcrest, that area.

 

[MFD4305]

I Know!!

It's the ghost of Brandt!! (R.I.P)

 

[gewecke]

Like I said,don't stop for it if it's not legit!
n9zas

 

[toonman4]

Must be on of those Sheriff's deputies with 1 to many DUI's
Has to be taken by cab from call to call :lol:

 

[bradpradio7420]

a taxi with red and blue lights !!! are you sure that is a real law enforcement vehicle it sound like a cabby who just wants to get around town with his fares quicker to me (lol). if it is actually a real police vehicle i think that sounds like serious entrapment to me , and what cab company in their right mind is going to want people thinking their cabs are cops. (lets see im a drunk person looking to get a cab home from the bar and ive just seen american cab using red and blue lights and making traffic stops!!) ( i guess i wont be calling them!! i aint trying to catch a public intox charge) the whole thing really dont sound legit i would call your local law enforcement agency and find out if that is really a police vehicle. i personaly wouldnt stop my car for a vehicle like that untill i confirmed with the local law enforcement dispatch that it was indeed a police vehicle.there is way to many wack jobs out there with illegal red and blue lights to take a chance with it. if it truly is a police vehicle then the department who is using it is being very reckless. one more thing what if someone sees that car stoped and needs a taxi and walk up what is the cop going to say "oh no im not a cab i just look like one" give me a freakin break taxis are taxis and cop cars are cop cars. this kind of crazy bull s*** is what makes people scared to pull over for unmarked cars and makes way for cop impersonators and people end up getting hurt.

 

[bwjmackie]

This was before Ontario switched to blue/red lights. Notice the headlights: they're alternating like cop cars.

 

[EC-7]

I wouldnt stop for that. Id call 911 and confirm it and drive regular until a marked unit showed up.
I recall in Mi there were people with fake lights pulling people over, and thats what they recommended to do.
I know Michigan State Police cant pull you over unless its a marked unit. They dont have any unmarked units, for this reason.

My friend bought a retired cheif's car from an auction last year, and they left in the headlight and taillight flashers, plus mirror light. They simply removed the fuses to "disable" them. We popped them in and they were all working again. The scary thing is, the car was stolen 2 weeks later, and could probably be used for pulling people over now.

 

[R8000]

Must be on of those Sheriff's deputies with 1 to many DUI's
Has to be taken by cab from call to call :lol:

I had to LOL at that

As much as I hate going on FARK to defend law enforcement against the anti-police idiots, in my mind that might be crossing the line a bit to use a Taxi as a patrol car.

I also have to agree with what has been already said, don't pull over for them and call into 911 and advise them of what's going on . Maybe perhaps it's some weird way of getting the public to start noticing fake police cars ? Has you area had a problem with impersonators and they are trying to make people aware of it ?

Or better yet just call it in anyway even if you just see it " Hey I just saw a taxi trying to pull over somebody with red/blue lights...wtf? ". Then of coarse, fire up the scanner to hear the call go out...or not

The Wisconsin State Patrol did this before, but in a different way...which I think was the right way to do a covert speed trap. They used a legit/in service state highway dept truck and had a trooper in it with radar/laser and a mobile radio with a mag mount and cig lighter plug. They would look for speeders and also aggressive drivers while in traffic. They would be still and also drive around a certain areas while a hand full of troopers in marked cars would wait on a side road for the call to "pounce".

The highway truck trooper simply observed and reported.

Using a decoy vehicle perhaps for a targeted criminal investigation I am sure we would all agree is cool. But for general patrol, I am not too sure. A unmarked car or marked car for patrol no problem. Taxi/ice cream truck/garbage truck....umm..no.

 

[Astro25]

The picture looks like it could be legit to me... the sign on the roof is held on by magnets; it could very well be a regular unmarked with a temporary "decoy" taxi sign.

 

[gewecke]

The picture looks like it could be legit to me... the sign on the roof is held on by magnets; it could very well be a regular unmarked with a temporary "decoy" taxi sign.

This is exactly what I was going to suggest! Maybe this is a legit squad with the taxi dome light added as part of a sting op? Notice that there are no taxi markings on the doors as most taxis would have?
I wonder also about the phone number displayed?:roll:
n9zas

 

[bwjmackie]

The car pictured is an actual unmarked police car from the Halton Region Police Service in Ontario, Canada. The phone number is the main telephone number of the police service. Also, just above the phone number is the word "POLICE".