Police departments have apparently found a loophole for "unmarked" cars.

Now some municipalities have cars that look unmarked but they actually aren't. Ghosted Decals is a new trend that I have recently seen on plain colored vehicles. I know some places have laws pertaining to whether municipalities can use unmarked cars for patrol or traffic enforcement, so this looks like a loophole to me.

I'm guessing this isn't a new trend, but I saw my first one Not too long ago and I did a double take because I barely could see "POLICE" on the side of the black Taurus I saw.

I guess it's meant to be deceiving and I get it, but I don't necessarily think it's a great idea.

Fhp has a bunch of these.

That's the most intimidatingly large dodge charger I have ever seen.

In reply to Robbie:

Or is the officer a midget?

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote:

What photographer saw this through his viewfinder and said, "Yes, this is absolutely the right lens for this shot"?

Those came out a few years ago, that I know of at least. The local state cops used them then there was a lawsuit of some sort and it seems to have stopped. Still can't get them to leave their lights on when running radar like law says,, so I'm surprised something happened with the night vision decals.

Ohio has a law that you can't do traffic enforcement in an unmarked vehicle.
Westlake, OH on I-90 is where I see the cop car meeting tge absolutely minimal requirements of the law.

Popular Internet image...

The most impressive/evil versions I have seen are the white extended cab F150's with ghost decals and tinted windows in Dallas. A white F150 is the best police camoflauge for Texas.

Of course what that image forgets to mention is that European police runs completely unmarked cars as well. None of that 'ghost decal' stuff.

Our cops have had those decals for a while now. I just thought they did it because it looks kinda badass.

Let me begin by stating that I'm definitely pro-LE. I am fully in support of their efforts. But since they started doing the vehicle ghost imaging about 6-8 years ago around RI, I didn't particular like it. I thought that it's a bit underhanded ... sort of like reverse guerrilla warfare. Definitely not necessary. Maybe counter- productive. Those tactics are definitely not necessary around these parts. But since I have exceptional situational awareness, it doesn't matter to me. I can spot an LE vehicle in any direction in a second, even totally unmarked.

John Welsh wrote: Popular Internet image...

I just happened to watch a Youtube video last night of British police using unmarked vehicles, so there goes that theory.

It's not about protect and serve. It's about revenue collection. That's a shame.

John Welsh wrote: Ohio has a law that you can't do traffic enforcement in an unmarked vehicle. Westlake, OH on I-90 is where I see the cop car meeting tge absolutely minimal requirements of the law.

Years ago in MD they used an old Ranchero they had seized and would drive around with a bale of hay in the back while running radar. You can imagine how successful that was.

Nobody would pull over for an unmarked police car in So Cal. They would just get on there phone to 911, we have had so many people pretending to be police that they actually warn us not to.

I worked for a graphics installer who has been putting these on for a number of years. I wanted these as flames on my Vette for a while.

84FSP wrote: The most impressive/evil versions I have seen are the white extended cab F150's with ghost decals and tinted windows in Dallas. A white F150 is the best police camoflauge for Texas.

Theres footage of one, lift and all running around during tx2k17. It was hilarious.

Toyman01 wrote: It's not about protect and serve. It's about revenue collection. That's a shame.

Right there is the correct answer. It has happened up here , as well. The OPP have been turned into a cash register for the provincial govt.

In fact, a well marked cruiser without an officer in it is actually quite an effective tool to keep speeds in check.

Ghost decals, bah! Unmarked squad cars are legal in these parts.

In reply to NGTD:

Sounds like you're not down with OPP.

I'd be interested to see if one of these could withstand a legal challenge.

Most people just pay the fine and get on with their lives eventually someone is going to get bored.

Toyman01 wrote: It's not about protect and serve. It's about revenue collection. That's a shame.

It does seem like "protect and serve" got turned into "harass and extort" in a big way some years ago. I remember articles about this shortly after the recession started and tax revenue dropped unexpectedly. Police departments were forced to make up the difference any way they could.

Rock: We The People : Hard Place...

I've been seeing "ghost marked" police cars in PA and NJ for years. But I can generally spot one a mile away regardless.

John Welsh wrote: Ohio has a law that you can't do traffic enforcement in an unmarked vehicle. Westlake, OH on I-90 is where I see the cop car meeting tge absolutely minimal requirements of the law.

They also have a law that says cruisers must be parked in plain sight, with their lights on at night.

Someone should send that memo to Brecksville. (The reason why EVERYONE local slows down to exactly the speed limit on I-77 north of the Turnpike... they like to hide behind bridge abutments with their lights off)

IMO, if it doesn't have roof lights, it's unmarked. You can't see the side of the car in your rearview mirror.

84FSP wrote: The most impressive/evil versions I have seen are the white extended cab F150's with ghost decals and tinted windows in Dallas. A white F150 is the best police camoflauge for Texas.

I can beat that. A few years ago the cops (I think there's still more than one) in the small town I grew up in got themselves a new F-150, gray, barely marked, with a matching camper shell. Completely invisible Grandpa truck.