The Iowa State Patrol has new rides. They've ditched the Crown Vics and are now driving Hemi Chargers. Maybe I'm a bit slow noticing, but its today was the 1st one I've seen.


Stryder

 

they also aren't the gold color anymore, the new chargers are silver. I started noticing them about 2 wks ago.

 

I'm glad I found this thread... I'm going on a day trip today to look at a new/different truck (and probably won't be able to resist stopping at a few tractor dealerships along the way). I'll have to be sure to put the tailgate up and clear off the windows before I go

Thanks for the heads-up

 

Any one driving on Hwy 20 near Ft. Dodge needs to watch for a dark green chevy 2500. It is an undercover type that I have seen pulling over people. I also got behind him the other day and noticed the lights inside the cab.

 

Very cute. Why is it "To Protect and To Serve" seems like it's been replaced by "To be sneaky and intimidating"? Or is that just me?

 

How about the fact that the state is hurting for money and yet they are buying gas guzzling 3/4ton 4x4 pickups to patrol around in? I can understand the Hemi Chargers, the Crown Vics are getting out dated, but not pickups and SUVs.

 

You know, when I was in school for law enforcement the one thing my main instructor taught us was the most affective law enforcement doesn't involve contact with anyone. The most affective form of law enforcement is a police presence, IE you have to be seen to be a deterant. I have made my position on this very clear and that is using undercover vehicles for traffic enforcement is stupid, dangerous, and makes the public less safe. stupid because by using it for traffic enforcement you now can't use it for drug enforcement officers, dangerous because the vehicle isn't noticed so people don't neccesarily stop for it, and makes us less safe for 2 reasons first it gets the people used to pulling over for unmarked vehicles, so someone could then buy a set of lights at a local truck stop (Bosselmans used to sell red and blue flashing lights) then go pull over some woman and take her out rape and kill her (remember the reporter that disappeared up by CR, one theory is she was pulled over by someone in an ex cop car with lights in the grill due to one witness testifying to seeing her bieng pulled over) and secondly same scenario, suspected terrorist have already tried to pull over a truck loaded with explosives down in Florida with an unmarked white or grey ford explorer with lights in the grill. He didn't stop because he was hauling military stuff and had orders to not stop for anyone but had a panic button. They tried to force the issue he ran them off the road and drove off, by the time the real cops got there they were gone funny thing is 1 week after I heard that story I saw a grey or silver ford explorer unmarked with regular county plates not sherrifs or other LE plates with lights in the grill pull over a tanker loaded with gas in Burlington IA, now what if that had not been the local sherrif, some terrorist just got a rolling bomb. Fact is the use of unmarked cars expecially ones with cover plates should be outlawed nationwide for use as traffic enforcement (it is illegal in Ohio already, and no one will pull over for an unmarked car there) if this was made illegal then it would make it harder for a hijacker/terrorist to pull over and take a truck load of dangerous materials to use as a bomb. So with that fact in mind, the cops are right now a terrorist best friend, and any officer I see driving a unmarked car for traffic use I will say it to his face anytime. Want to do something call your senator or congressman (I have)
Ok off my soapbox now, BTW I have told my wife if an unmarked car attempts to pull her over to keep driving do the speed limit and head directly to the first cop shop she can think of or find, I will pay the lawyer bill to get her out of the charges if neccearily.

 

I'm 100% in agreement with that, monsterbaby, and I've told my girlfriend, my sister, my mother, and every other woman I have in my life to do the same thing. Cops need to be seen to be effective, and you simply cannot do that in an unmarked car. I know some cops who truly relish the fact that they can see you but you can't see them, because they simply KNOW that you are doing something wrong, but they can't catch you doing it when they're rolling up in a black and white. I've been stopped by unmarked cars, and usually the first thing the cop wants to ask is "You must have not seen me there, huh?" It really strokes their ego to be "undercover", and in my opinion that leads to a more pronounced "us versus them" mentality.

Now, please don't think that I'm a cop hater, because I realize that they face dangerous situations at every turn. But I really don't think that the way to serve and protect the public is to come across as a bully who is always on the lookout for wrongdoing, because I feel that if that's the way they are thinking, they will find a way to find wrongdoing, even if it is not there. Power corrupts, as the saying goes. I respect a cop who is out there doing his or her job, and I think that being seen is the best way to keep order.

Thanks for letting me borrow your soapbox, monsterbaby. You've kept it in very good condition.

 

i talked to some state troopers..they said there weren't going to be many Chargers untill the 07-08 on patrol because of cost and the trial basis. I know my home area(eastern iowa) is only getting 3(on a permanent basis) untill summer 07, but that could change like the wind. they will still get new crown vics from what i hear.