Cop or not? How to safely respond to unmarked police cars
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - After two men impersonating officers pulled a woman over in an unmarked vehicle, the Yuma Police Department (YPD) wants the community to know how to spot the differences from their vehicles to impersonators.
YPD said they have different unmarked vehicles that are all different styles and colors. These vehicles are used daily by detectives and officers who hold administrative positions.
The official unmarked police vehicles will always have lights mounted onto the inside top windshield, the back window, and sometimes on the grill of a vehicle.
Another distinction these official vehicles have is that most of the license plates start with a G. They never have push bars on the front of the vehicle.
Police officials who drive the unmarked vehicles said that they almost never pull people over. The only time they do is when they see a serious traffic violation that puts others in danger.
But when these unmarked vehicles do pull people over, there are ways to visibly tell the person pulling you overdoes, in fact, work for the police department.
These officers will always have a badge on them to identify themselves. They almost always have a vest on that says police or something that identifies them as an officer.
If you feel as if you're life is in danger while being pulled over by an unmarked vehicle, YPD advises that you maintain a normal speed, contact dispatch, or call 911 to see if the unmarked vehicle is an official vehicle.
