Your Next Race May Be With A Cop

7680 Views 79 Replies 28 Participants Last post by Jim Lewis, Feb 4, 2005

Barry

Discussion Starter · Feb 2, 2005

I live 5 miles from where i work in a sleepy little town called Springhill. Same ole drive every morning aprox 15 mins ( alot of light's and old people ) around 8:45 am. This morning on my commute, minding my business and doin the speed limit 45mph; the usual "ricer" kids pulls up behind me reving it up and then pulls to my side and rev's. It was a silver Accura fairly new w/ tinited windows, therefor i couldn't see inside. The light turns green and i slowly launch away as he step's on it to pull ahead...I let him have it, it's a short block. He's waiting for me at the next light as I pull up side by side.....and yes he's still reving. The light changes and off he goes again....I'm not in the mood...he slows down in the slow lane and I pass. He then pulls behind me and a nice red and blue strobe lights up on his dash w/ headlight's flashing as well. I pull over and once stopped a Hernando Co. Sheriff's Deputy climbs out of this car and approaches me. He informs me that this may be my lucky day; because had I taken his bait I would have been the recipient of a $ 535.00 fine for "Aggresive Driving" as well as a $ 250.00 fine for "Street Racing". At this point I'm steaming !..I asked him what the fine would be for "instigating" agressive driving and street racing as well as kicking the shit out of a Deputy for provoking such behavior ( I'm not a young man) at that point he advised me that the state of Florida is taking zero tolerance of this type of driving and is part of a program called " Stealth" in which the state gives grant's for local jurisdiction's to rent,lease and use impounded cars to legally intrap agressive and street racing driver's. He asked that I pass the word to other 49 yr old drivers w/ " Souped Up Car's"......word to the wise! Maybe the the Stealth program is in your area....check and see.

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LoungeLizard

· #2 · Feb 2, 2005

I believe thats called entrapment.

MotorMouth

· #3 · Feb 2, 2005

Barry said:
I live 5 miles from where i work in a sleepy little town called Springhill. Same ole drive every morning aprox 15 mins ( alot of light's and old people ) around 8:45 am. This morning on my commute, minding my business and doin the speed limit 45mph; the usual "ricer" kids pulls up behind me reving it up and then pulls to my side and rev's. It was a silver Accura fairly new w/ tinited windows, therefor i couldn't see inside. The light turns green and i slowly launch away as he step's on it to pull ahead...I let him have it, it's a short block. He's waiting for me at the next light as I pull up side by side.....and yes he's still reving. The light changes and off he goes again....I'm not in the mood...he slows down in the slow lane and I pass. He then pulls behind me and a nice red and blue strobe lights up on his dash w/ headlight's flashing as well. I pull over and once stopped a Hernando Co. Sheriff's Deputy climbs out of this car and approaches me. He informs me that this may be my lucky day; because had I taken his bait I would have been the recipient of a $ 535.00 fine for "Aggresive Driving" as well as a $ 250.00 fine for "Street Racing". At this point I'm steaming !..I asked him what the fine would be for "instigating" agressive driving and street racing as well as kicking the shit out of a Deputy for provoking such behavior ( I'm not a young man) at that point he advised me that the state of Florida is taking zero tolerance of this type of driving and is part of a program called " Stealth" in which the state gives grant's for local jurisdiction's to rent,lease and use impounded cars to legally intrap agressive and street racing driver's. He asked that I pass the word to other 49 yr old drivers w/ " Souped Up Car's"......word to the wise! Maybe the the Stealth program is in your area....check and see.

Ha! That is great! Look out for the cops in Flordia, SP, county and locals. I have been following Flordia's road rage and road racing crack down projects. They have all kinds of vehicles all over the state. From Mercury Merauders to Dodge dakota pick up trucks. The Dakota I read about had a flat fiberglass cover and a stepper motor lifts it up when the lights are turned on and there is strobes and a traffic advisor hidden inside. Looking at it you would never know it was a squad vehicle.

Watch your selves there.

Catshreds

· #4 · Feb 2, 2005

What's a "traffic advisor"?

clownhair

· #5 · Feb 2, 2005

yeah thats entrapment, its illegal and you would be able to get out of it.

dazednconfused75

· #6 · Feb 2, 2005

Just bring your video camera or else it's his word against yours.

macncheese

· #7 · Feb 2, 2005

wow, that sucks a bunch. a friend of a friend got his license suspended after racing a cop in a black civic in clearwater. boooooooooo.
tony

Dman

· #8 · Feb 2, 2005

yeah, what he did was illegal...he cant rev at you, but in the end, it is his word against yours...most of the time, if u say he was revving at you then you will get out of it...had it happen to a friend of mine...

shaneathan

· #9 · Feb 2, 2005

clownhair said:
yeah thats entrapment, its illegal and you would be able to get out of it.

LOL. Are you sure? If so, how do you know?

MotorMouth

· #10 · Feb 2, 2005

Catshreds said:
What's a "traffic advisor"?

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Jim Lewis

· #11 · Feb 2, 2005 (Edited)

Hey guys, whichever side of the law you're on, and I've been on both sides, been a military cop, plus I've actively street raced for money...it's not entrapment, and more than targeting people at 2 am because they might be drinking and popping them for DWI.

I agree that it's a shitty tactic, but I GUARANTEE there's a judge in that jursidiction who is directing these moves - cops don't just make this stuff up and go play games - most would never waste their time when it could be defeated in court.

So, when you go complain that you've been entrapped, you'll likely be complaining to the judge who supervises the program...and THEN, you'll go no leniency, and may end up with a much stiffer penalty, like jail or probaation, than just paying a fine.

I'm not taking sides here, but this whole "task force" is the newfangled thing to do to cure any particular problem in any area when citizens complain.

In a situation like Barry's, I'd explain my age (I'm 41, so I understand), lack of traffic citations, and the fact that the officer may have been confused into thinking you were Bob Glidden or Kenny Bernstein and you weren't "engaged" in racing after all. You were simply driving to work in a spirited manner...

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goofyguy

· #12 · Feb 2, 2005 (Edited)

That is entrapment. Like hiring a kid to race anyone he sees then the cops pull over who ever he races. That is not legal my Springhillian Friend. We need to all roll out with a few vid cameras to see if we can stop that in its tracks. Let him Act like a fool for a few lights then complain to that road rage hotline that theres some jackass kid on the road with illegal tint and modified car. Then send the videos to the Captain of the squad.

clownhair

· #13 · Feb 2, 2005

shaneathan said:
LOL. Are you sure? If so, how do you know?

Entrapment is where a cop get you to do something that under normal caonditions you would never do. For example if a cop hands you a gun and says to shoot someone, entrapment. Entrapment is a basic legal concept that I learned freshman year at a criminal justice course.

MotorMouth

· #14 · Feb 2, 2005

Here's a thought:

DON'T RACE ON THE STREET AND IT WON'T BE A PROBLEM!!!!!

That is what there are race tracks for...save it for the track!
Drive like a normal person and there is no issue..

YAKUSATURN

· #15 · Feb 2, 2005

MotorMouth said:
Here's a thought:

DON'T RACE ON THE STREET AND IT WON'T BE A PROBLEM!!!!!

That is what there are race tracks for...save it for the track!
Drive like a normal person and there is no issue..

good piont,but to solve this debate my uncle is a cop and so is a very good friend of mine i will get both of their opinions tonight and post them in the morning

Jim Lewis

· #16 · Feb 2, 2005

MotorMouth said:
Here's a thought:

DON'T RACE ON THE STREET AND IT WON'T BE A PROBLEM!!!!!

That is what there are race tracks for...save it for the track!
Drive like a normal person and there is no issue..

Love it - great point, and now that I'm not in my 20s, I don't actually race, but I will out-accelerate a challanger, remaining at the speed limit, just in case.

Real racing is a great outlet, and that's why I got my boys involved in autocross and drifting as soon as they got their licenses.

Let's understand something here - I have more than a class my frshman year when it comes to criminal justice....

Entrapment is buying a guy 8 beers in a bar, then telling him it's ok to drive, that you'll make sure no cops see him, then bust him for DWI....

Entrapment is a fool's card, just like all the ******** back home talk about suing people for slander for talking trash about them - if you don't have a reputation to be damaged, slander can't exist - besides, lawyers run and hide when some ******* with no money wants to sue someone for slander.

I sincerely hope that if one of my sons was racing on the street, they'd get slammed in a major way and have to ride their bikes to school and work - that's a much better alternative than killing yourself or someone else...and yes, I've seen that happen - twice.

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goofyguy

· #17 · Feb 2, 2005

me and a bunch of my buddies are gonna cruise the streets next monday to look (hunt) for these cars. 2 busa's a zx-10 a zx-6 2 gsxr 1000s and a katana 750. We all are going to attract some attention. 3 have camera mounts. I hope he screws up. Both of my parents work for the sheriffs office and both told me this tactic is not legal and to get it on tape. Lets see how brave this one is.

MotorMouth

· #18 · Feb 2, 2005

YAKUSATURN said:
good piont,but to solve this debate my uncle is a cop and so is a very good friend of mine i will get both of their opinions tonight and post them in the morning

No, it is not entrapment. He was baited. I may question the ethic's of this officers actions in iniating the stop, but if this particular program was autherized by the officers agency there would not be much of a defence on the vehicle opperators part if they were tagged in a situation like this. That is unless there was a gross deviation of policy on the officers part. I know specific's of many programs like this around the u.s. from large metropolitian areas to rural jurisdictions. All opperate a bit different from one another but have the same basic theme. Decrease the instances of reckless driving, road rage and street racing.

Jim Lewis

· #19 · Feb 2, 2005

Right and the only questions the judge will ask and want to hear about is "were you speeding"?, "were you racing another vehicle" - if the answer is yes, you're done.

I'm buying a Hyuabusa this Spring, and would love to see some guy in an Integra catch me...

That being said, I've been in the debate on Edmunds.com about police tactics and traffic tickets - I'll always repeat this "We're adults, we know what the law is - if you break the law, buck up and deal with it - you know what the laws are, this isn't new news....no matter what the circumstances, if you broke the law, all the excuses and flailing about won't help when you're in front of a judge - they've heard them ALL, trust me on this".

shaneathan

· #20 · Feb 2, 2005

goofyguy said:
That is entrapment. Like hiring a kid to race anyone he sees then the cops pull over who ever he races. That is not legal my Springhillian Friend. We need to all roll out with a few vid cameras to see if we can stop that in its tracks. Let him Act like a fool for a few lights then complain to that road rage hotline that theres some jackass kid on the road with illegal tint and modified car. Then send the videos to the Captain of the squad.

You speak so authoritatively about a subject you know nothing about.

Most of you know I'm an attorney--you could have just asked me. . . This is not entrapment. But goofy you go on thinking it is. You are like a goldmine of new business for me. Please move to Las Vegas.

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