true about patrol vehicles?

[NorwichCadet]

Is this true guys that most police vehicles.. NCPD, NYPD, SCPD do not have radar compatibilities in there vehicle? just in highway enforcement?

[2001GTTT]

I believe local municipalities in my area do not have radar in their cars, only the PSP.

[NorwichCadet]

i know NYPD doesn't have radar in there vehicles besides HW..anyone else shed some light on this? Because i do believe NCPD doesn't have any radar. Oh and what else i learned also with NCPD. Theres certain patrol vehicles that drive around with what it looks like to be lazers ontop of there vehicles but it's actually cameras reading license plates looking for stolen vehicles..etc etc....license plates linked to suspended license plates

[NYJets44288]

The license plate readers are all over now... they are not just for stolen vehicles, but they will beep if u have an expired registration, inspection, tags, etc. NCPD Sector Cars run laser all the time, it's just a matter of signing out a laser just like it is signing out a portable breathalyzer.

[NorwichCadet]

well yeah that's what i meant with the laser.....highway patrol has them too....they keep it hangin on the back rear windows on both sides. And breathalzer? Each patrol vehicle is not equipped with one?

[Back to NYC]

We don't have breathalyzers in our vehicles in the NYPD, or even in most commands, for that matter. DWI suspects go to Highway to get tested. It's kinda weird: if we're trying to get someone for DWI, we'd better make sure he's pretty heavily intoxicated, otherwise he's going to sober up enough by the time he gets breathalyzed that the charge will get knocked down to DWAI.

[Brendon]

We don't have breathalyzers in our vehicles in the NYPD, or even in most commands, for that matter. DWI suspects go to Highway to get tested. It's kinda weird: if we're trying to get someone for DWI, we'd better make sure he's pretty heavily intoxicated, otherwise he's going to sober up enough by the time he gets breathalyzed that the charge will get knocked down to DWAI.

That happened to my father way back when the NYPD busted him for DUI, and by the time they tested him, he blew 00's.

[BarXone]

anyone have a picture of what those license plate "lasers" look like? I saw something on a highway unit before but not sure if that was it

[krash131]

anyone have a picture of what those license plate "lasers" look like? I saw something on a highway unit before but not sure if that was it

I have a picture of one on an NYPD impala, I'll post it when I get off of work, its not a close up though

[John2008]

The license plate readers are all over now... they are not just for stolen vehicles, but they will beep if u have an expired registration, inspection, tags, etc. NCPD Sector Cars run laser all the time, it's just a matter of signing out a laser just like it is signing out a portable breathalyzer.

They only beep if you have a stolen plate, or suspended registration. if the reader finds a partial match to a stolen plate, its pretty cool. One of the task force guys showed me how it works.

[bxhousing]

We don't have breathalyzers in our vehicles in the NYPD, or even in most commands, for that matter. DWI suspects go to Highway to get tested. It's kinda weird: if we're trying to get someone for DWI, we'd better make sure he's pretty heavily intoxicated, otherwise he's going to sober up enough by the time he gets breathalyzed that the charge will get knocked down to DWAI.

A Portable Breath Tester (carried by cops in some departments) is not admissible in court... you still need to transport and have a certified tech have them blow into a breathalyzer. The in car PBT's are just used by cops to help determine probable cause. Refusing to blow into one of those on the side of the road is NOT the same as refusing to blow once transported to the testing location. A driver is supposed to be tested within 2 hours of the time of the arrest, which means they could lose about .04% BAC.

I don't know too many cops in the NYPD who actually have locked people up for DWI and SFST's are not taught in the academy.

[NorwichCadet]

anyone have a picture of what those license plate "lasers" look like? I saw something on a highway unit before but not sure if that was it


if it was attached to the back 2 rear windows then it is it. They look like little survallance cameras...black in color....that's why NY license plates are nice and reflective...so the police vehicles..toll cameras...etc etc can read them very clearly

[fedny]

We refer to them as RBT's, Random Breath Test. All of our officers are trained the SFST's and most are trained in Radar/Lidar. So beware lol.

[NYJets44288]

NCPD 740 has them mounted on the roof, in place of a lightbar. Floral Park has an RMP with them on the trunk. I've seen them on an NYPD MNTF Car in front of the Vector Bar. They are like two black things, the size of a can of vegetables, pointed down and to the sides, the front of them looks like the thing you scan groceries over at the supermarket lol. The guy I spoke to says sometimes it beeps about a car that was in front of you a 1/2 mile ago and now they're gone. Cool though.

[NorwichCadet]

NCPD 740 has them mounted on the roof, in place of a lightbar. Floral Park has an RMP with them on the trunk. I've seen them on an NYPD MNTF Car in front of the Vector Bar. They are like two black things, the size of a can of vegetables, pointed down and to the sides, the front of them looks like the thing you scan groceries over at the supermarket lol. The guy I spoke to says sometimes it beeps about a car that was in front of you a 1/2 mile ago and now they're gone. Cool though.

FPPD? has them? I've never seen it. I know they made all there traffic enforcement vehicles look just like police cars

[GrayState]

The plate readers on my car are mounted on the roof in front of the light bars. It's a neat tool and especially nice to have when a BOLO goes out with a plate (can enter it into the local registration "hotlist"). Although, it reads some strange things as license plates sometimes (i.e. a fence near my station is constantly read as a string of 1's, which hits as a stolen plate... heh.)

[NorwichCadet]

gotcha..quick question...what is those NYPD security booths that are portable and move up? Anything special about it?

[nyc1219]

the Counter Terrorism Unit has the plate readers mounted on the trunk

[Back to NYC]

A Portable Breath Tester (carried by cops in some departments) is not admissible in court... you still need to transport and have a certified tech have them blow into a breathalyzer. The in car PBT's are just used by cops to help determine probable cause. Refusing to blow into one of those on the side of the road is NOT the same as refusing to blow once transported to the testing location. A driver is supposed to be tested within 2 hours of the time of the arrest, which means they could lose about .04% BAC.

I don't know too many cops in the NYPD who actually have locked people up for DWI and SFST's are not taught in the academy.

+1. I've talked to more than one cop with 10+ years on who's never made a DWI collar despite being active.

[NYPO]

gotcha..quick question...what is those NYPD security booths that are portable and move up? Anything special about it?

Its called a sky box. It is usually put in a high crime area. Its a fixed post and it enables the officer to see for a few blocks and is supposed to deter crime. Supposed to doesn't mean it does though

[Highwaylaw]

Is this true guys that most police vehicles.. NCPD, NYPD, SCPD do not have radar compatibilities in there vehicle? just in highway enforcement?

NYPD would go bankrupt putting radar/laser in every car. NCPD and SCPD have them through out the dept., though not necessarily in every car.

[NorwichCadet]

what would a cost of a patrol vehicle be that was radar equipped? I'm thinking an extra 10-15K

[250]

http://www.dennishollingsworth.us/archives/images/WatchTowrArmed2.gif

[1062PP]

DWI..... depends on what command you go to, what your tour is and what you primary position is. Lots of poeple are turned off by taking a dwi cause they smell, vomit, hard to handle, and there is a lot of paper work involved. If you are looking for some OT DWI is an easy way to get that.

As for radar and the nypd. Good luck finding a gun that works. Highway does it that's really about it.

[NYPDtoGrey]

DWI..... depends on what command you go to, what your tour is and what you primary position is. Lots of poeple are turned off by taking a dwi cause they smell, vomit, hard to handle, and there is a lot of paper work involved. If you are looking for some OT DWI is an easy way to get that.

As for radar and the nypd. Good luck finding a gun that works. Highway does it that's really about it.

You also have the Pct. level traffic safety guys with radar guns, as well as task force having a few cars with vehicle mounted radar.

[BklynsFinest347]

If you work midnights during the weekends, just sit by a club/bar & watch the DWIs stumble on out to their cars & create their first driving mistake.
OR
Wait till a 53 intox driver call comes over the air.

Then it's a 1 under & a trip over to IDTU for testing by HWY and so forth...

DWI Collars = Whole Lotta $$$ :D

[BklynsFinest347]

I have a picture of one on an NYPD impala, I'll post it when I get off of work, its not a close up though

You mean an RMP equipped with a Plate Reader? My command has a plate reader car. It's cool but it still has a lotta bugs to work out of it (sometimes it reads a plate incorrectly) and the beeps that it makes when its reading the plates can get annoying LOL. It's still new technology so it'll take some time to work the kinks out of it.

[Brendon]

What do the computer screens look like, sort of like this?

http://www.insidesocal.com/sgvcrime/mobileLPI-capture_large.jpg

[250]

DWI..... depends on what command you go to, what your tour is and what you primary position is. Lots of poeple are turned off by taking a dwi cause they smell, vomit, hard to handle, and there is a lot of paper work involved.

i have a problem with this... you're* making your salary to protect the public and if that means wrestling a vomitting drunk then so be it. i hope there arent officers that look the other way because they dont want to deal with it at the moment

*not YOU, generally speaking of course


not that this is related to the above, but i was returning to eastern long island from out of state and i was following somebody who HAD to be drunk (or in some serious medical condition) i called 911 and told the whereabouts in queens, nassau, and suffolk and nobody ever came. i was a little disappointed by that

[NYJets44288]

My friend in one of the Manhattan TF is a big DWI fan. He makes his money that way, why not?

[NYCTNT]

I dont take much personally, but DWI is personal. There is no and/if or buts's about it. If you are DWI, you are getting hooked.

[krash131]

Ok while not 4pm here is the pic i said i'd put up with the camera cruiser. I drew red circles over the cameras since I think they're a tad bit hard to see. Although O.com resized the pic and I can't figure out how to make it bigger, sorry guys

[NYCTNT]

yea that car belongs to CTD.

[Arentuanazz]

http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=152850 there you can see a better pic of a license plate reader

[Arentuanazz]

Matter of fact this is an article about those automatic plate readers it breaks pretty much everything down for you.
http://www.elsagna.com/mobile.htm

[nyballer31]

My friend in one of the Manhattan TF is a big DWI fan. He makes his money that way, why not?

Yep both Manhattan TF are big for DWI.There all over the place. While they can be a pain in the ***, because your dealing with drunks throwing up, waiting for highway to show up, by the book bosses who may want you to voucher the car these collars are the real money makers for midnights. You make a DWI collar on a friday night or saturday night it is almost guaranteed your going to get at least 10 hrs and more times then not your doing a wrap around.Plus you will alwys going to court for these arrests which means more money.

If you work in manhattan and do midnights and looking to make money I think it would be wise to spend some money and buy a personal intoxilyzer, hell you can call highway and they will certify you and calibrate your machine so you then you don't have to worry about what happens if I bring him to IDTU and he blows under.

[nyballer31]

Its called a sky box. It is usually put in a high crime area. Its a fixed post and it enables the officer to see for a few blocks and is supposed to deter crime. Supposed to doesn't mean it does though

its a big waste of money and resources first to set it up,move it around and then have two cops manning it. The department would be better off using that money to add/ replace MDT in every rmp.

[NYPO]

its a big waste of money and resources first to set it up,move it around and then have two cops manning it. The department would be better off using that money to add/ replace MDT in every rmp.

HAHA I agree, our RMP's don't even have MDT's. Most of our cars barely run. Most of the times we are short and can barely put out sectors and then when we have this stupid box thing it ties up two cops and a scooter

[threewishes]

Hi,
I noticed you guys are from Long Island. Visit a site dedicated toward Long Island gun owners;

www.LongIslandFirearms.com

[NYCTNT]

I think we have like 3 MDT equipped RPM's.

[srq screw]

anyone have a picture of what those license plate "lasers" look like? I saw something on a highway unit before but not sure if that was it
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081223/ARTICLE/812230351[/IMG]

if you click on the link, you will get a better picture. this is from Sarasota, FL...but this system is used nationwide. they're not really lasers, but cameras.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081223/ARTICLE/812230351

[1062PP]

i have a problem with this... you're* making your salary to protect the public and if that means wrestling a vomitting drunk then so be it. i hope there arent officers that look the other way because they dont want to deal with it at the moment

*not YOU, generally speaking of course


not that this is related to the above, but i was returning to eastern long island from out of state and i was following somebody who HAD to be drunk (or in some serious medical condition) i called 911 and told the whereabouts in queens, nassau, and suffolk and nobody ever came. i was a little disappointed by that


welcome to the NYPD kid...

[BigWill2876]

Someone arrested for DWI that had all the appearances of DWI (poor mv operation, balance tests, verbal tests) at the scene that blew .00 at the Barracks within a reasonable time period, would be likely to be DWI CDS and still ticketed.
Portable hand held "breathalyzers" are not legal instruments in States, that I am aware of, for issuing a DWI ticket.

John at USNA has taken to carrying one in his pocket for classmates heading back to The Yard after a night on the town in Annapolis since they will test Mids walking back, for BAC readings...

[NYPDtoGrey]

Yep both Manhattan TF are big for DWI.There all over the place. While they can be a pain in the ***, because your dealing with drunks throwing up, waiting for highway to show up, by the book bosses who may want you to voucher the car these collars are the real money makers for midnights. You make a DWI collar on a friday night or saturday night it is almost guaranteed your going to get at least 10 hrs and more times then not your doing a wrap around.Plus you will alwys going to court for these arrests which means more money.

If you work in manhattan and do midnights and looking to make money I think it would be wise to spend some money and buy a personal intoxilyzer, hell you can call highway and they will certify you and calibrate your machine so you then you don't have to worry about what happens if I bring him to IDTU and he blows under.

The hand held PBT is not a substitute for the departments breath test instrument.

[NyPd G]

5-11 collars are popular in the bronx!

[NYCTNT]

suspended licenses are common everywhere.

[nyballer31]

The hand held PBT is not a substitute for the departments breath test instrument.

Of course it's not but it makes your life easier out there. The ADA would prefer you field test him first on the scene. I guess regular commands are different because most sectors don't have personal intoxilyzer but it's expected that if Highway or TF has a DWI he will be field tested first and then brought back to to IDTU.

[bxhousing]

In most places... well, anywhere outside the NYPD to "field test" someone for DWI means to conduct SFST's (Standardized Field Sobriety Tests). That is what you are basing your PC for the arrest on. Also when it goes to trial, that's what the defense attorney will be grilling you about. Without these you're either having the subject blow into a PBT, which they can refuse, or they are so drunk they have trouble walking and talking normally. I know that these are not taught in the academy, but I am sure Highway is taught them... maybe task force guys.. I dunno.

[nyballer31]

In most places... well, anywhere outside the NYPD to "field test" someone for DWI means to conduct SFST's (Standardized Field Sobriety Tests). That is what you are basing your PC for the arrest on. Also when it goes to trial, that's what the defense attorney will be grilling you about. Without these you're either having the subject blow into a PBT, which they can refuse, or they are so drunk they have trouble walking and talking normally. I know that these are not taught in the academy, but I am sure Highway is taught them... maybe task force guys.. I dunno.

Alot of Taskforce guys are IDTU techs because of all the DWI arrests we bring in.Actually I have heard that MSTF not highway actually does all the IDTU work for the borough. I agree with you on the PBT without it its hard to take people in who who may be a .12 or .13 which is drunk but not to the point of what your describing. Buying a PBT is a good investment.

[NYCTNT]

buying a PBT is great, but the question is... would the nypd allow it without busting chops and would we be allowed to use it without being thrown into the deep end of the ocean?

[nyballer31]

buying a PBT is great, but the question is... would the nypd allow it without busting chops and would we be allowed to use it without being thrown into the deep end of the ocean?

Like I said I personlly bought one because my command only has a couple on hand.As a matter of fact Highway used to purchase PBT for you and you would get a slight discount don't know if they still do it and don't know if you have to be IDTU certified first.

As far as I know it's not going to be a problem especially once you buy it and get it calibrated by highway they will also train you to do the field test which takes two minutes. Its going to cost about $ 400. I think the olny models you can buy are the CMI SD-2 and CMI SD-5. And if you choose to buy a PBT and not get it calibrated thats fine as well. The only time that would effect you is if the deft. blows lets say a .16 in the street then when he visits IDTU he refuses to blow you'll be questioned why it wasn't calibrated.

[BarXone]

If you work midnights during the weekends, just sit by a club/bar & watch the DWIs stumble on out to their cars & create their first driving mistake.
OR
Wait till a 53 intox driver call comes over the air.

Then it's a 1 under & a trip over to IDTU for testing by HWY and so forth...

DWI Collars = Whole Lotta $$$ :D

Why do you say it equals a whole lot of money? Do you mean in overtime filling out paperwork etc. ?

[NYCTNT]

Let me put it this way... its a lot of vouchering(if its the perps vehicle, the car gets forfeited) and redundant paperwork which repeats itself over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.

[Sled]

"buying a PBT is great, but the question is... would the nypd allow it without busting chops and would we be allowed to use it without being thrown into the deep end of the ocean?"

I have been out a little while so things may have changed, but a couple of years ago the NYPD had alco-sensors, a type of PBT that HWY and Task force had and some Precincts had them.(my command had two guys working steady 12x8's that were big DWI guys and they had them) The department gave them out, so, I would not think the departmentwould throw you into the deep end of the ocean.

But, if you went out and bought something on your own (why would anyone do that?)that the department did not authorize or train you on, then you have to remember that we are all big boys.

[NYCTNT]

Exactly.

I just spoke to a highway cop about 10minutes ago. He urged me repeatedly to go through the proper channels for training. He stated if the motorist blows through the PBT but then refused at the house, you are on your own. Which in turn means.. possible CD's, lawsuits, whoooo knows what.

I dont need it THAT bad that I have to buy my own unit and be put out to dry if things go haywire. Its not uncommon to have motorists now blow through the precinct test machine.

If I stop said motorist and have said motorist blow through my personal PBT and then refuse at the house.. what the heck will my explanation be when the motorist then says oh but officer so and so made me blow through a little machine when he stopped me, I aint blowing again. Yeaaaa... not me.

[BigWill2876]

Just do things the way the Dept wants you to do things and you will be fine. No need to spend $400 bucks of YOUR money for gadgets.
Drivers that are over .08% BAC are EASY to see based on your training and observations. If their operation of the mv sucked, they can hardly stand much less walk a straight line, and mumble the alphabet, etc., there will be little question that they blow a good number.
Refusal to blow for the "real" breathalyzer testing is an automatic suspension, in addition to, any conviction for the operation of the mv, so that person only dug their grave deeper.

[nyballer31]

[QUOTE=BigWill2876;1734648]


Drivers that are over .08% BAC are EASY to see based on your training and observations. If their operation of the mv sucked, they can hardly stand much less walk a straight line, and mumble the alphabet, etc., there will be little question that they blow a good number.
QUOTE]

Honestly somebody who is .07 and somebody who blows a .10 on the street is not a huge difference in terms of how they look and act. Neither one of them is blasted but one is intoxicated and one isn't. They both will have watery/bloodshot eyes, moderate smell of alcohol.Niether though will show the signs of what you described. Having a PBT on hand makes it very easy out there. Thats easy for me to say though since I went through IDTU and trained to use one.


Like I said it all depends if your a big DWI guy or not. If your a cop who gets one once in a while then you obviously shouldn't get one.IF your a cop who makes/or wants to 1 or 2 DWI collars a month which is what alot of Highway,TF does then its not that bad of an idea.Also if your looking to get that many DWI's then you should go to your training sgt and see if you can get trained on how to use a PBT.

[BigWill2876]

First the hand held units are not that accurate. Heck the Breathalyzer 900 A, which has been used to convict hundreds of thousands, only has an accuracy potential of .02 % BAC + or - ! Which means reading a BAC showing .10 % could either be .08 or .12 % One reason why 2 tests are advised 20 minutes or so apart so that you can see if the person tested is going up, going down, or staying the same BAC, allowing you to estimate the reading at the time of the stop.

Second, if you stop/call in the stop/document the stop/give the hand held test and then let him/her go off the hand held reading showing a "safe" level and then subsequently they are in a mv accident with injury....say hello to the Mickey D's employment line.

Third, if their mv operation was bad enought to bring them to your attention and you see the effects of alcohol use thru visual/verbal/balance tests at the stop, TAKE them in for a REAL breathalyzer test.

CYA

[NorwichCadet]

guys please correct me if i'm wrong on this. But my neighbors who are both HW patrols use LASER/RADAR to clock people's speed. But it doesn't matter what the LASER and RADAR says they are trained to know what speed a vehicle is travelling it. And with or without a LASER/RADAR they can issue tickets/ARREST based on there judgements because they are cerftied each year... Isn't that the same with DWI'S? Officers are certified and trained to test intoxicated individuals.. a PBT is just a tool to confirm it?

[GrayState]

what the heck will my explanation be when the motorist then says oh but officer so and so made me blow through a little machine when he stopped me, I aint blowing again. Yeaaaa... not me.

I explain this to people all the time (though sometimes you need to more than once if they are really drunk). The PBT is to test for the presence of alcohol on the roadside (a simple positive or negative is all you tell them, even though it gives you a number) and the breath test at the station is to get an actual reading. If they still don't understand it, who cares, their attorney should and can explain it to them later. If they don't blow at the station, no biggie either... you should still have plenty of evidence at this point and good notes, they're losing their license, and the fact that they didn't blow can be used against them in court. If your department has a PBT training program though and says not to use your own, certainly go through channels.

[GrayState]

guys please correct me if i'm wrong on this. But my neighbors who are both HW patrols use LASER/RADAR to clock people's speed. But it doesn't matter what the LASER and RADAR says they are trained to know what speed a vehicle is travelling it. And with or without a LASER/RADAR they can issue tickets/ARREST based on there judgements because they are cerftied each year... Isn't that the same with DWI'S? Officers are certified and trained to test intoxicated individuals.. a PBT is just a tool to confirm it?

Certainly true. If someone refuses SFST's, refuses the PBT, and refuses the chemical test, you don't just let them go! You know they're drunk already and you have good notes to prove it! :)
You'll get the drunks who have been arrested several times refusing more portions, but it just gets them a quick trip to jail. You do have to pay attention a bit more to the ones who refuse... how they stopped their vehicle, how they exited their vehicle, have another officer observe them as well (the word/observations/experience of two as opposed to one), did they use anything to steady themselves at any point, have trouble getting their license from their wallet, open containers, eyes (you can even observe nystagmus and lack of smooth pursuit while they're still seated in their vehicle if you stand in the right spot and move around a bit), speech, breath, condition of their clothes, their memory, condition of their money (i.e. wadded up in a ball in their pocket?), how many times and for how long they urinate, oral admissions, their perception of time, etc, etc, etc... turn everything they do into its own little field test :)

[NYJets44288]

Wow GrayState, I feel like I was just given a real lesson on DWI's haha. Very informative. Does a PowerPoint come with that? :)

[GrayState]

Sadly, I don't think I have PowerPoint installed ;)

[bg0075]

As was mentioned earlier an Alcosensor should be the last thing you do during your invest for DWI. Its inadmissable in court anyway (although a UTT if refused.) Either way once at station and given the option to give a breath sample and they refuse you will still have your intial charge of 1192.3 .... Many 1192.2's are fought and won BUT a solid 1192.3 should never be lost, that is unless the officer is skipping the SFST's and using the alcosensor as their PC

[nyc1219]

Sadly, I don't think I have PowerPoint installed ;)

powerpoints will be the death of me at the PA

[BigWill2876]

A properly conducted road side testing along with a properly prepared written report should make the breathalyzer readings unnecessary.
There is no provision that requires a BAC for a DWI conviction.

Most arrests are upheld for the original DWI charge even with the operator's refusal for the "real" breath testing. This is nice as it adds additional suspensions onto the original charges.

The key is good notes from the scene so that you can transcribe the notes/recalls from the scene and write a report that leaves no openings for the defense attorney to attack.

Many departments now have video capability both at the scene and at the Station, use them as well, the courts like seeing the operator falling down as he/she attempts some simple balance test or a poke in the eye as they go finger to nose.

[86-43]

+1. I've talked to more than one cop with 10+ years on who's never made a DWI collar despite being active.

Wow! I suppose it just comes with the different territory but we are HUGE on DWI ("OWI's" here). I work in a small town and we popped about 70 last year between 5 or 6 of us.