Strathclyde Police Pursuit "not legal"

**Big Knox** · 19th April 2012, 16:25

Interesting reading

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...-west-17770342

**GARY3306** · 19th April 2012, 16:58

I'm quite surprised they did it as every copper knows you can't do a traffic stop with an unmarked or 'Q' car, and/or you aren't in uniform. They should have shouted up for a traffic unit/panda in the area to assist. Don't know how they thought they would get away with that.

**m8internet** · 19th April 2012, 17:06

Originally Posted by GARY3306

I'm quite surprised they did it as every copper knows you can't do a traffic stop with an unmarked or 'Q' car, and/or you aren't in uniform

This has been a procedure in Scotland for years
However, there is a difference between pursuit and traffic stop
Unmarked cars are in daily use on all of Scotlands Trunk routes, but for traffic duties there are strict requirements (at least three flashing blue lights and two intermittent full beam to the front, and alternating red / blue to the rear)

I too have seen this "illegal" practice numerous times, but as yet not on a Motorway
The (presumably CID) officers should have known better
Equally, given the location it occured I am surprised a marked car was not present at a later stage after following the vehicle (as that is the correct procedure, when this occurs)

I can see these two officers being tramped off to East Kilbride to read their procedures and tick the box again

Seems to me procedures are starting to lack at Strathclyde after I noted the Road Policing Unit not using Unipar equipment correctly a few months ago

**Grumpy1954** · 19th April 2012, 17:25

See the DCC says his men were acting completely legally and have had their reputations wrongly tarnished. Ineresting. If I was being pursued by an unmarked car with a couple of unknown men in it I'd be worried.

**GARY3306** · 19th April 2012, 17:43

Originally Posted by Grumpy1954

See the DCC says his men were acting completely legally and have had their reputations wrongly tarnished. Ineresting. If I was being pursued by an unmarked car with a couple of unknown men in it I'd be worried.

That DCC is talking out of his rear!! Chasing or routine stops of vehicles must not be done by unmarked vehicles and/or plain clothes officers. Simple as that.
You're damn right too, I wouldn't stop either under them circumstances. How do I know that this isn't two guys wanting to take my car off me. It happens.

**m8internet** · 19th April 2012, 18:28

Originally Posted by GARY3306

That DCC is talking out of his rear!! Chasing or routine stops of vehicles must not be done by unmarked vehicles and/or plain clothes officers

I suspect the DCC has not read the full case report and/or is not aware of the type of vehicle that was used
In this case it was an ordinary vehicle with no blue light and/or siren

However, as I pointed out above, unmarked vehicles are permitted for the use of routine stops and when a pursuit is declared a marked vehicle takes over at the first available opportunity

Finally the full circumstances of the incident have not been published, plus the person making the complaint did not want to be identified or even make an appearance
I suspect this was used as a defence to have any case dropped before it proceeded
As above, it is very unusual to have CID officers following a person and attempting to stop a vehicle, normally they would have already arranged for a marked vehicle to attend
I know the location where this occured, and it would have been relatively easy to arrange this

edit :
Full report -
http://www.pcc-scotland.org/assets/0...CHR_Report.pdf

**Grumpy1954** · 20th April 2012, 11:11

Originally Posted by m8internet

I suspect the DCC has not read the full case report and/or is not aware of the type of vehicle that was used
In this case it was an ordinary vehicle with no blue light and/or siren

However, as I pointed out above, unmarked vehicles are permitted for the use of routine stops and when a pursuit is declared a marked vehicle takes over at the first available opportunity

Finally the full circumstances of the incident have not been published, plus the person making the complaint did not want to be identified or even make an appearance
I suspect this was used as a defence to have any case dropped before it proceeded
As above, it is very unusual to have CID officers following a person and attempting to stop a vehicle, normally they would have already arranged for a marked vehicle to attend
I know the location where this occured, and it would have been relatively easy to arrange this

edit :
Full report -
http://www.pcc-scotland.org/assets/0...CHR_Report.pdf

Reading that report, it sounds to me like Strathclyde just wanted it to go away.

**alcutler** · 20th April 2012, 13:20

Its covered by the 'Ways and Means Act' the Police have to use it a lot when making snap on the spot decisions - occasionally someone bellyaches - perhaps they were concerned for other road users safety and considered their actions were justified. Bit of a Health and Safety issue though stopping on the hard shoulder in an unmarked car and using a mobile while driving

**m8internet** · 20th April 2012, 15:44

Originally Posted by alcutler

Bit of a Health and Safety issue though stopping on the hard shoulder in an unmarked car

I love how Strathclyde Police classed this as "no risk"
I would have expected them to at least state "low risk"
The first thing when you are stopped on the hard shoulder is advised to move to the nearside and away from your vehicle

The higher risk was the police car reversing along the Motorway, even traffic police know you only do that in extreme cases...

**dlp** · 20th April 2012, 15:59

Typo made me chuckle.....seems a lack of knowledge is rife: "Both officers’ statements leave no doubt that it was their intention to stop the applicant’s car rather than to await the arrival of uninformed officers."