'Stealth' cop cars nab Montreal drivers at their worst

[jesseps]

 

You may think the coast is clear, but Montreal police could be watching. They could be in the car right next to you.

 

That's the idea behind six stealth patrol cars now in operation, driven by members of the police traffic squad. They are standard white Chevrolet Impalas, but have the Montreal police logos painted on in white. The flashing lights are inside the windshield, so the vehicle's profile looks like a regular car. Hard to spot, for sure.

 

"People behave differently when they know there is a police car around," explained Eric Godin, commander of the Montreal police road safety and traffic division. Police tested one stealth car from July to December last year and the police officers who used the car were able to catch a lot of bad drivers, Godin said. He did not have statistics.

 

"These cars are good for catching drivers who are tailgating, using their cellphones, speeding, crossing over solid lines, making illegal U-turns, weaving in and out of lanes," Godin said. "They think we're not there and it's a little like 'When the cat's away, the mice do play.' " Sounds great, from a police perspective, but Godin doesn't expect an entire fleet just yet.

 

"It's not our intention to add a lot more," says the commander, who leads the 150-member traffic and road safety unit. Most cars, aside from undercover vehicles with no markings at all, will remain clearly marked, he said. "We don't want people to say 'You're hiding.' You have to keep a police presence."

 

The officers who drive stealth cars are not expected to hand out more tickets, even though they probably will, Godin said. Last year, the Montreal police issued 327,732 moving-violation tickets and 134,166 speeding tickets.

 

Stealth cars are in use elsewhere; Hamilton, Ont. police use a darkly painted Dodge Charger with subdued markings.

 

The Montreal police stealth cars cost about $1,000 more to outfit than regular patrol cars. And they are visible at night when another car's lights strike them, since the white paint is reflective, Godin said. The cars are generally used in daytime and the evenings, but not on all-night shifts. "We're being discreet so we can penalize bad drivers," Godin said. "Mr. and Mrs. Everybody have nothing to worry about."

 

(Courtesy of © Copyright © The Montreal Gazette)

[Cataclaw]

I APPROVE!

 

I have zero tolerance for bad driving. Get those tailgaters, speeders, swervers, red light burners, rolling-stoppers and cellphone texters.

[MTLskyline]

I think that they are a very good idea too.

[yarabundi]

Ce n'est pas mon idée d'une voiture banalisée : à chaque fois que je vois un Chevrolet Impala sur la route j'ai l'habitude d'être aux aguets !! Qui d'autres que des policiers (ou quelques représentants ou quelques chauffeurs de taxis ayant mauvais goût pour le choix d'une voiture) vont rouler dans ce type de voitures ? Ils veulent des voitures banalisées ? Pourquoi pas une Camry ou une Dodge Caliber par exemple (avec "police pack") ?

[OursNoir]

Un mystère résolu! Pedepy avait parlé de cette voiture de police il y a quelques mois: http://www.mtlurb.com/forums/showpost.php?p=81446&postcount=15

[pedepy]

hein ?

 

non je me souviens qu'elle avait des girophares sur le toit, mais "minces" .. de plus, elle semblait davantage argentee que blanche (dans la lueur du matin). je pense que c'est malek qui avait dit, ca devait etre un vehicule d'inspecteur de taxis. je crois qu'il avait raison.

 

i wonder something though: what if you decide not to stop when these cars flash their lights, could you get away with it? i mean otherwise, would you be required to stop for any vehicules with lights ?

[Cataclaw]

i wonder something though: what if you decide not to stop when these cars flash their lights, could you get away with it? i mean otherwise, would you be required to stop for any vehicules with lights ?

 

Correct me if i'm wrong:

 

You have to stop if they flash their lights. It's also illegal to have emergency/police lights anywhere on your car if you're not a cop/ambulance/etc.

[MTLskyline]

Ce n'est pas mon idée d'une voiture banalisée : à chaque fois que je vois un Chevrolet Impala sur la route j'ai l'habitude d'être aux aguets !! Qui d'autres que des policiers (ou quelques représentants ou quelques chauffeurs de taxis ayant mauvais goût pour le choix d'une voiture) vont rouler dans ce type de voitures ? Ils veulent des voitures banalisées ? Pourquoi pas une Camry ou une Dodge Caliber par exemple (avec "police pack") ?

 

Mauvaise gout?? Le Chevrolet Impala est une excellente voiture. Si j'étais dans le marché pour une voiture large, l'Impala serait dans les finalistes. Le Toyota Camry est comme une appareil pour la cuisine. Monotone et sans imagination. En outre, la Camry n'a pas la puissance pour être une voiture de police. Le Caliber est beaucoup trop petit.

Modifié 20 juin 2010 par MTLskyline

[saturnus85]

I saw one, a couple of weeks ago, on the corner of Crescent and Sainte-Catherine. It's not very "stealthy", from a pedestrian's standpoint, at least. The print was VERY visible. And yarabundi is right. Even without the police print, it looks way too much like a cop car to go unnoticed.

[Malek]

Je crois que la police de Montréal était la seule ville qui n'en avait pas.