Comments on: Auto pop quiz

By: Niki

Niki — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:30:39 +0000

The police are "forcing" people to speed ???

By: SMS

SMS — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 03:25:41 +0000

OK so the moral of the story is watch out for, what, Chevy Impalas, and Ford Crown Vics and potentially Tauruses? What else... cops on motorbikes too?

By: Rigo

Rigo — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:49:50 +0000

That's no big deal.

Longueuil has had a fleet of completely unmarked Ford Taurus cruisers in civilian colors for years. That's much less easy to spot than a white Impala with steel cap wheels.

As for "stealth" markings, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu has been using them for the past few years.
http://policecanada.policecanada.org/Canada/Quebec/QuebecS/StjeanrichelieuQC16_MartinLalonde.jpg

By: Fagstein » National Post amused by our wacky cop cars

Fagstein » National Post amused by our wacky cop cars — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 07:31:10 +0000

[...] My post about Montreal’s stealth police cars prompted an article in the National Post in Wednesday’s paper (an article written by a former colleague of mine at the hippie university paper). [...]

By: Fassero

Fassero — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:51:42 +0000

Really? So, for instance, 30 years or so of unmarked blue or black Crown Victorias looming about have made the 401 the safest highway on Earth, right? Like I said, makes sense for stoplight infractions, errant passing etc. (in fact, since your picture was taken on Jockeys instead of, for instance, Decarie, that was probably what the officer caught). For speed....it'll be a colossal waste of time except in the revenue department.

By: Fagstein

Fagstein — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:07:11 +0000

Study after study after study has proven that speeding has been best deterred by having a visual presence of enforcement vehicles on the road

Yes, until that visual presence is passed, at which point the drivers speed up again. The point behind this campaign is that if you don't know who's a cop, you'll be careful when you're around any white car.

By: Fassero

Fassero — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:26:56 +0000

It isn't. What it *should* be doing is stopping just as, if not more, dangerous in-motion driving acts such as poor passing, tailgating, etc. - acts that rarely occur when there is a visual police presence on the road (except if that car is substantially behind where the act has occurred.) Think about it for a sec. Speeding tends to be committed by groups of cars at any given section of road. The moving, unmarked car will only be able to ticket one of them at a time (and odds are he won't even ticket the local driver; he'll go for the one with the Ontario plate, New York plate, etc since that driver has the lowest odds by far of challenging it in court.) The stationary marked car will be in the visual of all and cause a slowing down effect (except for the odd dope who fails to look) Study after study after study has proven that speeding has been best deterred by having a visual presence of enforcement vehicles on the road (heck, drivers on highways will slow down if they see ANY kind of flashing light in the distance). But, since "visual presence" does not translate into "revenue", forces don't feel compelled to use it.

By: BruB

BruB — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 02:12:51 +0000

I'll admit I drive a fast car and therefore...I drive fast. Rarely got caught in the act though because I try to drive smart (except for the speed part) when crowded, I drive at regular speed, when in city street, I drive at regular speed, I doN,t change lanes for nothing and don't tailgate. That being said, why is it that the police or the authorities have pilot projects or new to catch bad drivers it's called a "cash grabbed". Maybe, just maybe in my naive way, it's to actually stop speeders?

By: Fagstein

Fagstein — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 05:56:24 +0000

I don't think anyone is seriously suggesting that these cars replace the regular fleet of patrol vehicles, only that they be used in the limited situation of catching speeders in traffic.

By: Maria Gatti

Maria Gatti — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 01:24:05 +0000

Have they given any thought that this is not only sneaky and underhanded but that it also undermines the idea of a PROTECTIVE "police presence" for vulnerable people? How is an honest citizen supposed to flag down a police car to report on someone being mugged if he or she can't see the police-force livery on the car? Not quite the scary green Ford Falcons used to hunt down people to "disappear" under the Argentine dictatorship, but a misuse and misinterpretation of the supposed purpose of a police force, to protect citizens.

By: Fagstein

Fagstein — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:33:11 +0000

As in he stared at me for a bit and then turned into the parking lot, drove toward me, rolled down the passenger-side window and talked to me.

By: Jean Naimard

Jean Naimard — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 00:47:37 +0000

Some 40 years ago, at school, one day a drab green Renault 8 (yes, Montréal had Renault 8 police cruisers back then — when they were being built in St-Bruno) parks and inside are two guys dressed in black with big moustaches.
Being a reader of Tintin, I naturally thought of the Dupont/Dupond (Thompson in English, I believe) so I went to the car, and asked “excuse me, are you secret police???”
They said “yes, now go play”…

By: soup

soup — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:01:41 +0000

you got chased into a parking lot? you mean the guy actually ran after you?

By: Bryan

Bryan — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:51:20 +0000

Good thing he didn't see you try the 'stash'...might have thought you were hiding your giant bag of weed. Better try and eat it next time... although on second thought, that could be a VERY bad idea: http://current.com/items/90415304_suspect-puts-drugs-in-his-mouth-cop-breaks-his-neck-video.htm

By: Biz

Biz — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:47:10 +0000

posted story here: http://forums.montrealracing.com/general-sponsored-fast-wheels/657749-will-slow-you-down.html#post6921731

By: Joshua Slive

Joshua Slive — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:24:18 +0000

Here are the details from the SPVM
http://www.spvm.qc.ca/fr/documentation/3_1_1_actualites.asp?noAct=301

By: Khosrow

Khosrow — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:32:01 +0000

Haha.. love the footnote! By the way you're lucky this didn't happen to you : http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/15/tall_photographers/

By: Christelle

Christelle — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:24:49 +0000

Haha about the memory card! Better find a better hiding spot for next times...! Though we are in a free country and this was outside so I don't see why you wouldn't be allowed to take pics...

By: Peter

Peter — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:52:10 +0000

Badging? We don't need no stinkin' badging!

By: Alastair Yates

Alastair Yates — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 03:33:26 +0000

Easy! It is an undercover police car. I can tell because the Montreal police department has a fleet of Chevrolet Impalas (including some with no badging).