Not gun related question

[OverEasy]

Hi All,

My wife just got an email from a friend.

It says if you are being pulled over by an unmarked car or at night that you should call *677 on your cell phone before you pull over to verify that it is really the police.

It claims that *677 will connect you to the TX DPS dispatch and they will verify if it is in fact a LEO trying to pull you over. And if it is not they will send MARKED cars to intercept you and find out what is going on.

Is this for real?? Why not just call 911 if you are not sure it is the police trying to stop you?

This is a saftey issue mainly for women driving alone.

I'm interested to know if it is true or not.

Regards, OE

[gigag04]

why don't you dial it and check it out, I'd be curious to know as well.


-nick

[The Marshal]

Not real.

Blankity-blank spoof chain-email.

Just dial 911 if you need help.

[OverEasy]

Thanks guys,

Gigag04, If YOU dial it, let us know what you get.

evil-smurf, The Marshal, Thanks, I thought it was probably not good info.
My wife got it from some woman she works with.

The not pulling over for an unmarked car at night, in an isolated area, is a good idea. My wife and I have talked about where she could drive to that would be a safe place to stop. The 24 hr. "Stop & Rob" didn't sound like a good idea. I guess the best thing would be to call 911 and ask for help.

In some of the little towns out in the country around here, the police station or the sheriff's office is on some back street that you can't even find in the daylight. Might not be anybody there late at night either.

Regards, OE

[Commander]

If you dial *DPS (*377) on your Alltel, Nextel, Cingular, or Verizon Wireless phone (or 1-800-525-5555) you will reach the DPS Motorist Assistance Hotline in Austin. The Communications Operator will take your information and relay it to the nearest DPS Communications Facility to your location. Callers can report stranded motorists, accidents, or other roadside emergencies. However, they do not have a way to verify the authenticy of an unmarked car making a traffic stop.

If you are located within a local city juridiction, I'd recommend calling 911 on your cellphone. It will be routed to the nearest (in theory anyway) PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) of a local agency. Report your concerns about the unmarked car and advise them you are driving to a well lit place (hopefully with other people around) where you will stop. Request that they send a marked unit to meet you at that locaton to verify the authencity of the unmarked car.

As a matter of information, DPS Policy prohibits traffic stops by unmarked vehicles.

[KBCraig]

As a matter of information, DPS Policy prohibits traffic stops by unmarked vehicles.

That's good, but there's still the issue of "low profile" vehicles: marked, but no lightbars on top, etc. I don't recall seeing any from Texas DPS, but Arkansas State Police use them. The only markings are on the passenger side door and front fender. They'll pull alongside you, so you can see the markings and Smokey hat, then drop behind before activating the grill and dashboard blue lights.

I've seen them in silver Crown Vics, and even a red Durango.

Kevin

[Commander]

"Slick tops" are what you are referring to.....DPS tried that a few years ago. The cars were black and white and fully marked, just no light bar on top....People would just blow past them on the highway, not recognizing them from the front or the back....I'm not sure why the program was stopped...except perhaps for safety reasons due to not enough warning lights and none really visible for cars approaching from the sides. There may have been an increase in fleet accidents, but I don't have the info on that.

[MoJo]

Thanks guys,

I guess the best thing would be to call 911 and ask for help.

In some of the little towns out in the country around here, the police station or the sheriff's office is on some back street that you can't even find in the daylight. Might not be anybody there late at night either.

Regards, OE

+1 on calling 911

Even in some larger towns and cities the police station is virtually deserted after hours. Beaumont has a 300+ officer force and at night the doors are locked. The only officer likely to be in the station is the dispatch supervisor, everyone else is out on the street.