Seems to me that it wouldn't be any more expensive to outfit an unmarked vehicle than a marked one. Which brings me to your other point...


I did hear that all of that hidden gear is more expensive, but I agree, it's not much more over the cost of the car... The problem is that it is KNOWN, and has been shown in numerous studies that the presence of marked cars is a known deterant. Therefore, for every UNMARKED car, you are reducing your visible presence and therefore deterant capability. Unless you want to everyone thinking that "That next car COULD be a cop"... Which sounds fine in theory.. but blows when compared to reality.


I'm not saying it's wrong to write tickets to speeders. The HP does a good job of keeping the peace on our freeways, and they perform a necessary function.


I don't even have a problem with this. If anything, MY problem is from the insurance-government tie-in that has taken place. I don't mind paying for a ticket (although I haven't to date.. knocking on wood now)... It's the raping of the insurance fee's for the next 5 years that pisses me off......

(RANT)
ESPECIALLY from certain Insurance agencies that make a Great deal of publicity over "Protecting our highways" by giving away Radar and lidar guns to Police departments.... Protecting our highways, my ass... Increasing your revenue stream by using our publicly paid officials as your lackeys. Gieco (or however you spell it) can bite my ass. (/rant)

I think most "REAL" drivers would agree that the police would be better utilized actually enforcing SAFETY issues than Insurance revenue collections. Speed by itself IS NOT Dangerous. Speeding in an unsafe manner IS. Hell, driving 50MPH UNDER the flow of traffic is more dangerous, but I don't see the HP doing any enforcement of that... (Seemingly prevalent in Florida.... home of 90+year old drivers)...

Nor do you see them going after unsafe merges, morons swerving all over the road talking on cell phones....

Gee, I guess I closed that rant too soon...

Unfortunately, It's far easier to ticket people for speeding, less chance of a "judgement" call in court being overturned, easily demonstratable (although I leave my GPS in the car on no matter WHERE or HOW fast I'm going... It's nice to have a millisecond record of exactly how fast you were going when they say you were doing X... Plus, it's more accurate that my speedometer, and I'd dare say... Most Radar guns.)... and when it comes down to it, as a generallization, the speed cops are lazy.

(I can say that with a fair amount of reference.. My father was a MP for 26 years, and some of our best friends have been either Military police or local law enforcement.) It is unfortunate, as there are good cops out there.... It just seems that (in their opinion, and mine) they are definitely the minority.

As an aside to this, which I find hillarious as HELL, the town my parents live in has had a most unusual policy for the last 4 years... NO ONE with a county plate is stopped within the city limits for traffic violations or littering. The moment you step out of the city limits, you're fair game, and they patrol hard. But it seems that the Mayor made a decree in order to get the votes for re-election (only the city residents can vote for him... )

Because that increases safety...