Is New York State Police using un-marked cars

[Steve 78]

Are the troopers currently using un-marked vehicles for traffic enforcement/patrol?

Edited October 13, 2011 by jack10562
Moderator Note: Topic moved from New England to Upstate NY

[firedude 985]

To answer your question... No. In 1996, then Governor George Pataki issued an Executive Order prohibiting the New York State Police from using unmarked vehicles to conduct routine traffic stops. Governors Spitzer, Paterson and Cuomo, have since kept the executive order in effect.

S289-2009: Prohibits the use of unmarked police vehicles to routinely stop motorists for vehicle and traffic law violations, with exceptions

Edited October 13, 2011 by firedude

[BigBuff 27]

To answer your question... No. In 1996, then Governor George Pataki issued an Executive Order prohibiting the New York State Police from using unmarked vehicles to conduct routine traffic stops. Governors Spitzer and Paterson, have since kept the executive order in effect.

S289-2009: Prohibits the use of unmarked police vehicles to routinely stop motorists for vehicle and traffic law violations, with exceptions

I got pulled over yesterday on Taconic by a 2010-2011 tahoe, black, unmarked. The officer was in a NYSP uniform.

Edited October 13, 2011 by BigBuff

[JBE 328]

I was about to say, I remember that order. I know NYPD still pulls people over in unmarked cars.

[Just a guy 493]

Most departments utilize unmarked cars for patrol, traffic enforcement or for plain clothes operations.

The executive order was a bad idea then and it's a bad idea now. This is another example of politicians that know nothing about policing sticking their nose where it doesn't belong... politicians should stick to politics and leave policing to the cops.

Unmarked cars are an essential part of the business.

Yes there have been cases of people getting pulled over by fake cops but the answer in no way was to limit the use of unmarks. If you go by that thinking, there have been a lot of cases of people doing home invasions dressed as plain clothes cops and the answer to that isn't to limit an agencies use of plain clothesmen.

[FDNY 10-75 640]

They have always been able to stop vehicles for misdemeanor offences and above in unmarked vehicles.

The current superintendent feels that unmarked vehicles are needed to enforce aggressive drivers and drivers who text and use cell phones. A number of black, blue and silver Chevy Tahoes, Dodge Chargers and a few other vehicles have been distributed to certain zones (which do primarily interstate highway patrol) statewide.

You should see more and more of this in the future.

[peterose313 345]

Didn't this have something to do with a pair of men posing as NYSP with lights and everything on their car that raped a girl or several (don't remember details exactly)? I thought after that, they were required to have markings on their cars in some way shape or form.

[Just a guy 493]

It has to do with people posing as cops and committing various crimes but as I said before it is a knee jerk reaction to say "don't use unmarked cars."

This past weekend I drove up to massachusets and I observed many CT Troopers and Mass Troopers in unmarked cars doing traffic stops.

Like I said before, they are an essential part of the business.

[INIT915 1,119]

Yes, the NYSP does currently use unmarked vehicles, even for routine traffic enforcement.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

It has to do with people posing as cops and committing various crimes but as I said before it is a knee jerk reaction to say "don't use unmarked cars."

This past weekend I drove up to massachusets and I observed many CT Troopers and Mass Troopers in unmarked cars doing traffic stops.

Like I said before, they are an essential part of the business.

EVERY CT Trooper does stops in unmarked cars. Because just about every CSP car is unmarked. There are a few marked units per Troop, mostly older Jeep Cherokees which I believe were intended for special units and details including (but not limited to) Dive Team, Child Safety Seat Education, etc. Every once in awhile you'll see them used for a road job or in a snowstorm or something.

Mass uses a lot of unmarked cars as well.

[NWFDMedic 58]

The NYSP and every other department is prohibited from making routine traffic stops in unmarked vehicles. However, a simple read of the executive order will reveal the exception...

"NOTHING CONTAINED IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE DEEMED TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF SUCH VEHICLES TO STOP OR APPREHEND OPERATORS OF MOTOR VEHICLES FOR SUCH OFFENSES, BUT ONLY UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH ARE EXCEPTIONAL, NECESSARY, AND WHICH PRESENT A SUBSTANTIAL THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY."

The argument can be made that any moving violation is a substantial threat to public safety.

[norestriction 10]

Ghost letterings are considered markings .

My question is if you do get a ticket from an officer in an unmarked car and it stop doesnt fall under the "exceptions" rule do you think if challenged the judge is inclined to throw out the ticket ? There is always someone looking to exploit a loophole.

[ac316scu 31]

Saw an unmarked nysp Tahoe get somebody on the northern state parkway in long island yesterday. The trooper was in full uniform. Caught my eye because of it being unmarked.

[Dinosaur 844]

Saw an unmarked nysp Tahoe get somebody on the northern state parkway in long island yesterday. The trooper was in full uniform. Caught my eye because of it being unmarked.

A friend of mine is a trooper upstate and he wears his uniform and travels around in an unmarked car. Not at all uncommon from what he tells me.

The State Police aren't the only police agencies out there. Lots of other state, federal, and local agencies may be using the parkways/highways and can stop someone if they need to.

[Dinosaur 844]

Didn't this have something to do with a pair of men posing as NYSP with lights and everything on their car that raped a girl or several (don't remember details exactly)? I thought after that, they were required to have markings on their cars in some way shape or form.

There are isolated cases of crooks posing as cops but the story I remember is from the late 1980's when a Briarcliff cop was arrested by the Feds for violating the rights of women after he stopped them on the Taconic trying to get a date (sicko).

A Briarcliff Manor cop, Ronald Langer, was a suspect in the murder of Sherri Orofino but I don't think they ever convicted him for the murder.

[lad12derff 283]

EVERY CT Trooper does stops in unmarked cars. Because just about every CSP car is unmarked. There are a few marked units per Troop, mostly older Jeep Cherokees which I believe were intended for special units and details including (but not limited to) Dive Team, Child Safety Seat Education, etc. Every once in awhile you'll see them used for a road job or in a snowstorm or something.

Mass uses a lot of unmarked cars as well.

So the lights on top of CSP don't count as marked?

[INIT915 1,119]

There are isolated cases of crooks posing as cops but the story I remember is from the late 1980's when a Briarcliff cop was arrested by the Feds for violating the rights of women after he stopped them on the Taconic trying to get a date (sicko).

A Briarcliff Manor cop, Ronald Langer, was a suspect in the murder of Sherri Orofino but I don't think they ever convicted him for the murder.

Langer wasn't using an unmarked car. He was using his patrol car, while on duty. No real connection to unmarked cars. He spent about 6 years in Federal Prison.

[INIT915 1,119]

The NYSP and every other department is prohibited from making routine traffic stops in unmarked vehicles. However, a simple read of the executive order will reveal the exception...

"NOTHING CONTAINED IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE DEEMED TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF SUCH VEHICLES TO STOP OR APPREHEND OPERATORS OF MOTOR VEHICLES FOR SUCH OFFENSES, BUT ONLY UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH ARE EXCEPTIONAL, NECESSARY, AND WHICH PRESENT A SUBSTANTIAL THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY."

The argument can be made that any moving violation is a substantial threat to public safety.

First, I agree with you, the right reading of the E.O. makes anything possible. Second, the original E.O. did not apply to all law enforcement agencies, just those under the direction of the Governor. Local, city, county agencies were never prohibited. State agencies were the only ones who had to work around the E.O.

For years, until recently, unmarked cars were not sent out for the sole purpose of handling everyday enforcement, rather, those cars that happened to be unmarked and out for their intended purpose would just find themselves having to take action where necessitated. Under recent rule changes, CITE (Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement) units are now deployed with the direct intention of enforcing the VTL.

[INIT915 1,119]

Didn't this have something to do with a pair of men posing as NYSP with lights and everything on their car that raped a girl or several (don't remember details exactly)? I thought after that, they were required to have markings on their cars in some way shape or form.

Uhm, no. I don't even know where that story came from?!

Gov. Pataki's E.O. was issued after the S.C. Highway Patrol incident of January, 1996, when a Trooper driving a slick-top car assaulted a woman who he (wrongly) believed was fleeing from him. He was quickly (and in my opinion correctly) fired soon thereafter.

[joetnymedic 43]

So the lights on top of CSP don't count as marked?

Not all CSP cars have lightbars on them. We recently started using Dodge Chargers for speed enforcement, there are expeditions without bars and there are plenty of Crown Vics with interior lighting. Remember this too, a CT trooper is never truly off duty so to speak, that means that although not on patrol, they still stop people or pull over to assist and all kinds of stuff. I know plenty of troopers, who after their patrol shift is over, pull their lightbars off the roof and stow them. Will they pull you over? You bet they will. Also, CT used to have all fully marked carstill I think some time back in the 80's or early 90's. Before that we had all cars that were all marked and identical, then the state decided it wanted to save money. We weren't trying to throw people off with different color cars, This fine state just decided that it could save money by taking whatever cars it could almost like an off the lot type mentality. The state pretty much took what was left over. Some cities in CT have Tachs and full guage setups on their cars. Wallingford used to, not sure if they still do, but for the most part, unless it was special ordered, you won't see that with a state cruiser. I was telling one of the other guys on the board, CVPI's are an awesome car. I've owned a few, even before the true interceptors were out there. If you get a car that was well maintained and taken care of, you can put a million (well maybe not a million) miles on them. They ride great and they are built like a tank. What other cars can take a hit at 75mph that you know about and not totally self destruct? Ijust bought a 2003 from Putnam PD here in CT it was their DUI Enforcement car. It had a few little issues, but I took care of them and the car is 100% for the most part. It's dark blue and because of that, you can see every little scratch in it so I'm getting it resprayed the same color. I'm keeping it till next year then giving it to my youngest son who is just getting his license so that I can feel safe that he has alot of metal around himin case of an accident. Like I said, these cars hold up in a crash.Then I plan to buy either a 2010 or a 2011 and if not,I'll get an expedition as we used those at Westchester and they held up great too. And Yes, CT has it's fair share of look alikes.We just had a case in Naugatuck of a guy pulling over a female in a brown CV and sexually assaulting her and in the southern part of the state a few weeks ago we had another CV full light show and siren blowing down I-84. My personal opinion, before you're able to buy an old patrol vehicle, youshould have to go through a record check. But then agsin, so many different kinds of cars are used for UC ops, you never know. A lot of times here in West Haven if an unmarked is going to make a stop, they call for a black and white and give positions to it and have the marked unit pull the car over.

Edited October 14, 2011 by joetnymedic

[JBE 328]

Didn't this have something to do with a pair of men posing as NYSP with lights and everything on their car that raped a girl or several (don't remember details exactly)? I thought after that, they were required to have markings on their cars in some way shape or form.

IIRC, there was an incident down south where a Trooper was following an older African-American lady for a while with lights and siren, and she did not pull over because the car was unmarked. When she finally pulled over, this trooper got out of his car, gun drawn and screaming at this lady. He yanked her out of the car, etc. People FLIPPED!!! Right after this video hit the press, Gov. Pataki ordered the stoppage.

[v85 212]

The "unmarked" tahoes that everyone is talking about are not really unmarked. If you look closely, they have regular NYSP plates ie. 3K XX . Because the plate has the car number and says New York State Police on it, those cars are officially considered slicktops.

[joetnymedic 43]

The "unmarked" tahoes that everyone is talking about are not really unmarked. If you look closely, they have regular NYSP plates ie. 3K XX . Because the plate has the car number and says New York State Police on it, those cars are officially considered slicktops.

makes sense

[Steve 78]

I recently observed a blue unmarked Tahoe doing traffic enforcement on the Thruway.

That is why I asked the intial question.

I have known for years that the NYSP were not using unmarked cars.

I guess things have changed, and for the better.

Also, the current superintendent of the NYSP was a former Inspector with the NYPD.

I used to work with him years ago and know that he is very pro-active.

Edited October 14, 2011 by Steve

[mricorp 12]

That Executive Order expired last year.