Official Sacramento Thread (part 1)

[Fiveflat]

Hey guys, I'm hit and miss on this forum. I have a 2011 Jetta TDI and a 2012 Golf 2.5 2-door. Both are CW. I recently put my wife in the Golf since she only takes the kids to school 10 miles a day compared to my 50 mile a day commute.
I need to unload the Golf and get her into something bigger now though. I regret getting a 2-door Golf.
I also have Vag-Com and can help folks in the Sacramento area.

 

[JDM713]

I also have Vag-Com and can help folks in the Sacramento area.

do you know how to clear front light bulb errors? (for LED city light bulbs and sidemarker bulbs)

 

[rx4brdm]

A warning to fellow Sacto area people. On 80 last week I saw a new Nissan Maxima pull some body over. Grey with regular plates. Tinted windows so you can't see the lights til they are lit.

 

[Thumper]

A warning to fellow Sacto area people. On 80 last week I saw a new Nissan Maxima pull some body over. Grey with regular plates. Tinted windows so you can't see the lights til they are lit.

Is that legal in CA now?? Thought they couldn't use plain clothes cars for traffic stops cause it makes it so much easier for rapists and thieves to fake people out.

Wow

 

[rx4brdm]

Is that legal in CA now?? Thought they couldn't use plain clothes cars for traffic stops cause it makes it so much easier for rapists and thieves to fake people out.

Wow

I wasn't really paying attention to how the guy was driving but I saw the lights and siren start and watched him pull the guy over on I80 just before the Madison exit. Never saw the officer, maybe uniformed in an unmarked, either way, it was an Oh Sh!t moment.

 

[Thumper]

Interesting.....granted, it has been about, oh, 17 years since I was studying CJ, it's probably changed a bit since then LOL

Found this...

Unmarked Cars

Unmarked cars are legal in California and undercover officers have the authority to pull drivers over, which they usually do using hand signals. As part of California Vehicle Code Section 40804, any officer whose primary duty is maintaining traffic and enforcing the vehicle code must be in a marked car and in uniform. If the officer in charge of enforcing vehicle code is not in a marked car, their citation will not be valid and they may not be a witness in a trial for any citation they issue while in the unmarked car.

Misconceptions

Section 40804 of California vehicle code is sometimes interpreted as meaning that no officers in unmarked cars can issue traffic citations, including speeding offenses. (ref4) This is not true, as officers in unmarked cars can perform this duty as long as their primary law enforcement duty is something other than enforcing the vehicle code.


Read more: California Laws Concerning Police Cars | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_7619412_california-laws-concerning-police-cars.html#ixzz2JyVYWy6v

Pretty stupid. "As long as their primary function is not traffic"

That's good, so, not only does their primary job function not change a thing for the people getting pulled over who have no idea if it's a lunatic who bought a $200 light bar and a kit to flash the headlights or a real cop. but you are basically saying "These officers do not normally work traffic, they are NOT familiar with traffic laws or codes, but we will let them write tickets anyway..." LOL


And indeed it has changed, recently.....

California Court Weakens Ban on Unmarked Traffic Police
California appeals court ruling allows unmarked police cars to make traffic stops for any offense other than speeding.

M. Kathleen ButzAn appellate court last Thursday weakened a ban on using unmarked cars to issue traffic citations that had stood for nearly eighty-five years. A three-judge panel of the California Court of Appeal for the Third District made the change in the case of Paul Dyer, a man accused of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI).

Around midnight on February 9, 2006, Placer County Sheriff's Sergeant Jess Phariss was patrolling Highway 267 in an unmarked police car. Phariss grew suspicious when he saw the Jeep Cherokee belonging to Dyer driving slowly. He followed the Jeep and claimed that it crossed the highway's center line several times. Phariss initiated a traffic stop, noted signs of intoxication and had a second Sheriff's Deputy who had been called to the scene administer sobriety tests. A handheld breath testing device produced a reading of 0.07 -- under the legal limit -- for Dyer. Phariss deemed this "inconclusive" and proceeded to arrest the man anyway. A second breathalyzer test administered at 1:07am indicated a 0.11 reading -- above the legal limit. It is possible for such readings to increase over time as alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream.

A trial court judge threw out the DUI conviction as proceeding from an unlawful arrest and ordered the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to overturn the agency-imposed driver's license suspension. The DMV appealed the court ruling.

Since 1923, California has outlawed the police tactics upon which many other states rely to conduct speed traps. One key provision of this statute prohibits traffic police from using any vehicle not distinctively marked. In most cases, this means the traditional black and white design. In her ruling last week, Justice M. Kathleen Butz cited a 1991 decision explaining the legislature was "motivated by a desire to eliminate clandestine methods of traffic enforcement designed to augment local revenues through exorbitant fines."

In this case, the three-judge panel ruled that because the law only applies to traffic police, it did not apply to Phariss who played only a "supervisory" role. The second officer who had been called to the scene made the actual arrest. Moreover, the justices refused to apply the speed trap law to other common traffic offenses.

"The chief goal of speed trap legislation [is] to restrict clandestine enforcement of the speed laws by officers not clearly identified as law enforcement personnel," Justice Butz wrote. "The offense of driving under the influence does not 'involve the speed of a vehicle' as defined in section 40805."

The appeals court ordered a new trial court hearing to consider the evidence of whether Dyer was actually intoxicated at the time he was driving. A copy of the ruling is available in a 40k PDF file at the source link below.

Source: PDF File Dyer v. Department of Motor Vehicles (California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, 5/26/2008)

So they can't do speeding stops, since they certainly don't or shouldn't have a radar gun or laser in a car NOT intended for traffic enforcement......

Still, not safe. I would suggest if anyone ever gets a unmarked behind them to call a friend or family immediately on speaker, tell them the type of car and color and your location, just leave the line open so they can monitor or record even the conversation. Make sure if you get taken someone can maybe help immediately.

Paranoia is only paranoia....until it saves your life

 

[mk6medic]

Well that is interesting indeed.

Thanks for sharing, and thanks for the extra info Thumper.

One thing though, if a plain vehicle attempts to pull you over, call 911 and it contacts CHP from a cellphone. Let them know what is going down and they will advise you if its legit.

 

[littleazn248]

Interesting.....granted, it has been about, oh, 17 years since I was studying CJ, it's probably changed a bit since then LOL

Found this...



Pretty stupid. "As long as their primary function is not traffic"

That's good, so, not only does their primary job function not change a thing for the people getting pulled over who have no idea if it's a lunatic who bought a $200 light bar and a kit to flash the headlights or a real cop. but you are basically saying "These officers do not normally work traffic, they are NOT familiar with traffic laws or codes, but we will let them write tickets anyway..." LOL


And indeed it has changed, recently.....



So they can't do speeding stops, since they certainly don't or shouldn't have a radar gun or laser in a car NOT intended for traffic enforcement......

Still, not safe. I would suggest if anyone ever gets a unmarked behind them to call a friend or family immediately on speaker, tell them the type of car and color and your location, just leave the line open so they can monitor or record even the conversation. Make sure if you get taken someone can maybe help immediately.

Paranoia is only paranoia....until it saves your life

I got pulled over by one not so long ago for speeding. Now it all makes sense, I thought the officer was just being very kind. He seemed really pissed like he wanted to slap me a ticket but was letting me off the hook for a good day. At first I thought he was out of his jurisdiction or something. I had no clue this rule existed and nonetheless I am still glad I didn't get a ticket. :thanks:

 

[littleazn248]

I wasn't really paying attention to how the guy was driving but I saw the lights and siren start and watched him pull the guy over on I80 just before the Madison exit. Never saw the officer, maybe uniformed in an unmarked, either way, it was an Oh Sh!t moment.

What the heck? I thought the PD's in the US always used American vehicles.

Most common one are of course the Crown Vic, followed by the ford taurus, fusion, etc.

 

[Thumper]

I got pulled over by one not so long ago for speeding. Now it all makes sense, I thought the officer was just being very kind. He seemed really pissed like he wanted to slap me a ticket but was letting me off the hook for a good day. At first I thought he was out of his jurisdiction or something. I had no clue this rule existed and nonetheless I am still glad I didn't get a ticket. :thanks:

How did you get pulled for speeding? Don't you do 45 on the highway?

 

[rx4brdm]

What the heck? I thought the PD's in the US always used American vehicles.

Most common one are of course the Crown Vic, followed by the ford taurus, fusion, etc.

Maybe a car that went into impound and never pulled back out. Then again I have seen authorities in very odd cars screaming down Roseville Road into North Highlands a couple of times. I think all were domestic rides but still cars I never would expected to be used by Sheriff's dept.

 

[littleazn248]

How did you get pulled for speeding? Don't you do 45 on the highway?

Sure I bought a GTI to go the speedlimit all the time.

Maybe a car that went into impound and never pulled back out. Then again I have seen authorities in very odd cars screaming down Roseville Road into North Highlands a couple of times. I think all were domestic rides but still cars I never would expected to be used by Sheriff's dept.

I guess it just need to constantly look through the windows for light bars. Not a problem 95% of the time though since I don't often speed. Just kinda annoying for the 5%.

I know the most extreme case is NYPD they took a hellaflush STI and made it an undercover cop car.

 

[StayStetti]

To add to that, Folsom/roseville area has a few black on black chargers with like 22's that they pull people over constantly with.

 

[littleazn248]

To add to that, Folsom/roseville area has a few black on black chargers with like 22's that they pull people over constantly with.

22's on a cop car dang never thought I'd see the day

 

[Thumper]

22's on a cop car dang never thought I'd see the day

They gotsta blend in man