What to do if unmarked police car tries to pull me over at night?


What's the official policy/guideline for the Fairfax County PD
or the Virginia State Police on this subject?

If you want official information you should really ask the police. Even the cold facts come off as speculation on this site.

You don't have to pay any attention to blue lights after the sun goes down. You just keep on driving along your merry way and pay them no attention. If you are in a hurry, drop the hammer and drive it like it's stolen. You just never know if it is a real police or not, so the best advice is to ignore them all.

Best idea is to pull over into a well lit area, a busy shopping center would be ideal (although that all depends to time of day). Keep your doors locked and window rolled all the way up. When the officer approaches your window and you have doubts that he is a sworn law enforcement official, request a marked unit come to the scene. I am pretty sure this is policy for them to honor this request, and a marked unit will be dispatched. Should the 'officer' say he can't, or won't have a marked unit come by the scene, get on your cell phone right away, and dial 911. Explain to the dispatcher that you have been pulled over and requested a marked unit come to the scene, and the officer, whom you have doubts is a real officer, refuses to have a marked unit come by. Give them your location and real units will be dispatched rather quickly I would assume.

Also it wouldn't hurt to familiarize yourself with the local jurisdictions badges, that way if the guy flashes a badge that doesn’t even come close to resembling a badge from around here, you know you have problems.

You are not gonna get units dispatched with lights and sirens just because you dialed 911. But you can do is like they said before, pulled over in a safe and well lighted place and call 911, they will comfirm if the unit behind you is a fairfax county unit.

Thanks!

I just remembered a dark blue Ford Crown Victoria I saw a few months ago.
This was on the Beltway and my first reaction was to slow down, just like
all the other cars/trucks around me did...

When I got close enough to see its license plate said "NOT COP" which I
thought was pretty funny. The driver was a little old man................

I talked to a girl who told me that she let a cop cop a feel (hence the slang), and got out of a ticket.

Based on her account, I wish I had breasts.
I mean, based on her account, perhaps that's what one might do when pulled over.

I'm pretty sure it's SOP (standard operating procedure) to put on a solid red light to signal you want to pull someone over. I haven't been pulled over in VA though so I'm not sure. Otherwise you have no way of knowing if they are just trying to go somewhere else and happen to be behind you. The light is usually below their rear-view mirror facing forward. I have read about police impersonators using an unmarked look alike to pull people over before. As a civilian you can get flashing headlights and a spotlight on the side (to make it look alike with a crown vic usually). But if there are blue and red lights in the front grill, front windshield, and back windshield then it is the real deal. A real cop will have no problem showing their badge to you and are required to display it when identifying themselves or asked.

Fairfax Police only use blue lights on unmarked cars. If you see red/blue on a unmarked car late at night, downshift to 3rd and redline to 8k.

Repeat to yourself "your not there, your an illusion" and keep going.

If an unmarked car is trying to pull you over at night call the police from your cell and asked them to verify that it is an officer. If you are the one person in the county without a cell phone go to the nearest well lit gas station, or store and park right in front of the building. Preferably, in front of the door; even if it's not very busy an employee should see you and you'll prolly be on a security tape.

DO what I always do. Honk your horn, PEEL OUT, spitting gravel everywhere and scream bloody murder at the top of your lungs. Then SPEED to the nearest 7-11, run in side and stick your head under the Slurpee machine and fill your mouth with grape Slurpee! ahaaaa what a RUSH

Hello.

Guest Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Best idea is to pull over into a well lit area, a
> busy shopping center would be ideal (although that
> all depends to time of day). Keep your doors
> locked and window rolled all the way up. When the
> officer approaches your window and you have doubts
> that he is a sworn law enforcement official,
> request a marked unit come to the scene. I am
> pretty sure this is policy for them to honor this
> request, and a marked unit will be dispatched.
> Should the 'officer' say he can't, or won't have a
> marked unit come by the scene, get on your cell
> phone right away, and dial 911. Explain to the
> dispatcher that you have been pulled over and
> requested a marked unit come to the scene, and the
> officer, whom you have doubts is a real officer,
> refuses to have a marked unit come by. Give them
> your location and real units will be dispatched
> rather quickly I would assume.
>
> Also it wouldn't hurt to familiarize yourself with
> the local jurisdictions badges, that way if the
> guy flashes a badge that doesn’t even come close
> to resembling a badge from around here, you know
> you have problems.

There was an article about this in the Post about ten years ago and they agreed with pretty much all that you said, including the right to ask for a marked car.