new undercover fleet for police
by edith bevin
any car on the road could now be a cop car, thanks to a nsw police initiative to combat hoons and law breakers.
Highway patrol officers have used unmarked police cars for years.
But the latest scheme sees a range of high performance sports vehicles including ford falcon typhoons and suburu impreza wrxs patrolling the streets.
The vehicles are fitted with the latest accessories and are in a range of colours - some even sporting “p” plates - to fit in with vehicles commonly associated with car hoons.
Police traffic services commander chief superintendent john hartley said the scheme was part of a ploy to “blend in” with the hoons.
“what we’re doing is using a combination of marked and unmarked police cars,” supt hartley said.
“we’re using covert style vehicles which are, in the main, high performance cars like the (ford) typhoons.
“they are a new strategy to get cars that blend in with the hoodlums.
“what we find is people don’t pick them as police cars and it’s easier to pick offences like speeding, using a mobile phone or not wearing a seatbelts.
“we’ve found that people usually slow down and modify their driving behaviour when they see a marked police car.
“what we’re trying to do is get the message across that anywhere, anytime, any car could be a police car.
“you won’t know whether the car beside you is a police car or not.”
but the fleet designed to catch law-breakers on the roads does not stop at new or sports-modified models.
Police are also deploying older, well-worn cars as part of their covert traffic operations, supt hartley said.
It seems to be working, with speeding and drink driving offences well down over the christmas period.
And although it has a very serious side to it, the new cars are providing police with one or two “lighter moments”
“the officers tell me that they have had a couple of people pull alongside with the intention of a drag race,” supt hartley said. “they think the better of it when they look across and see a police uniform on the guy sitting behind the wheel.”
supt hartley said a “classic” example of the success of the scheme was the recent case of a hire car driver who was pulled over for speeding while ferrying a bride and groom.
Police began deploying the undercover vehicles in march when the state government announced funding for an additional 50 highway patrol cars.
They took delivery of the fleet shortly before the christmas traffic campaign.
“i think it’s having a big impact on the street racing and hoodlum activity (but) it’s probably to early to tell about general driving behaviour,” supt hartley said.
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