5 days ago
NSW police officer reveals why cops touch your car
A highway patrol officer who has served with NSW Police for two decades has revealed exactly why police touch your car after they have pulled you over.
Sergeant Steven Planinic, who works in NSW's Auburn Highway Patrol, appeared on Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie to talk about a Beat The Blue event, an organise that aims to reduce road trauma by educating car enthusiasts.
Ahead of the event, Sergeant Planinic, who has worked in the force for 20 years, busted some myths people had about driving rules.
Gemma, from Parramatta, called in to the program to ask a question that many Australians had been curious about.
'I'd like to know why is it, when you pull someone over, that you tap the car and leave your fingerprints as you walk off back to your police car,' Gemma asked.
The sergeant said there was a reason why police did this, but they didn't love to advertise it.
'We don't really like to tell people why we do it, because of the reason why we do it,' he said.
'And it's about, like you said, your fingerprints on the car. So I will let you use your imagination as to why we'd leave bits of ourselves on someone's car.
'Because, if something doesn't go well, and that person drives off, you've left a mark on that car that they can't refute.'
Wippa then asked whether it was deliberate, and Sergeant Planinic confirmed that it was 'very much deliberate'.
'It's a couple things — it's making sure the boot is secure, so no one jumps out of it, and leaving a marker on the car.'
Sergeant Planinic confirmed there were many similar procedures in NSW Police's Highway Patrol unit. He said the training was 'extensive' and designed to make sure officers got home safely.
Social media users were stunned to learn the reasoning behind the car tap.
'I was today years old when I learnt this,' one said.
Another added: 'Police over here in the UK are quite open why they do it. If they, god forbid, were to be shot in the line of duty while carrying out a check on a vehicle. It's so if they catch the offenders in the car, they have the police officers fingerprints, and DNA on the back of the car.'
'I never knew this never took any notice but there you go you learn something new everyday,' another said.
In addition to his work as a police officer, Sergeant Planinic is also the president of Beat The Blue, which was founded in 2016. The organisation is holding its fifth event on August 9, where 99 civilians will go head to head with NSW Police officers on a wet skid pan.
Sergeant Planinic said in the last five years, officers have won 80 per cent of the match-ups — proving how important safe driving is. All money raised goes to NSW Police Legacy.
