Latest news with #trafficstops
Washington Post
06-08-2025
- Washington Post
Appeals court overturns ruling that Richmond police targeted Black drivers
A federal appeals court panel has ruled that police officers in Richmond did not show a pattern of disproportionately targeting Black drivers for traffic stops, overturning a lower-court decision from last year that took local law enforcement to task for alleged racial disparities in policing. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit unanimously found that the officers stopped Keith Moore, the defendant in the case, in 2020 because he was driving a vehicle with a fake temporary license tag, not because he was Black.
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Boise police say traffic stops are soaring — and cite one troubling trend
Boise police officers are conducting more traffic stops than usual and seeing an increase in reckless driving behaviors. Officer Kyle Wills said the Boise Police Department has upped its enforcement on the roads to combat rising rates of fatal and serious-injury crashes during the summer months. According to the Idaho Office of Highway Safety, there have been 140 fatal crashes statewide so far this year, compared to 123 during the same period in 2024. In Boise, there have been seven fatal crashes in 2025. 'We're trying to combat that increase, or stop and reduce the fatal and serious-injury crashes on our roadways, so increasing enforcement is an obvious response to the number of crashes we're seeing,' Wills told the Idaho Statesman. 'Our goal is always to keep the community safe, and this is one aspect of what we want to do, is keeping the community safe and keeping families whole.' A July 30 police department press release stated that officers conducted 18,595 traffic stops from January through June 2025, which was a 34.4% increase from the same period in 2024. In June alone, officers conducted 4,000 traffic stops. One of the biggest issues this summer, the release said, is an increase in drivers traveling more than 100 mph within city limits. In the release, Boise Police Sgt. Matt Konvalinka said that the most common citations involve dangerous behaviors that were 'entirely preventable.' Memorial Day through Labor Day is known as the 100 deadliest days on the roads, according to the National Road Safety Foundation, and Boise police urge drivers to take extra caution. 'Historically, this time frame is when we see a significant spike in fatal and serious-injury car crashes,' Wills said. 'If you were to take any 100-day period throughout any time of the year, our highest fatalities are typically between Memorial Day and Labor Day.' The roads are much more dangerous in the summertime, he said. In the winter, Wills said, drivers are more cautious because they understand that the roads will be in worse condition with snow and ice. But in the summer, people focus less and aren't 'engaged as much in the act of driving.' Beyond that, he said during the summer teens and young drivers who would otherwise be in school are driving more. There are also more vacationers and motorcyclists on the roads. 'Every one of these (fatal) crashes has claimed a life and devastated a family. It's our hope that by sharing this information, drivers are reminded just how critical safe driving habits are, especially during the summer months,' Boise Police Sgt. Matt Konvalinka stated in the news release. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Unmarked Police Cars Are Designed to Fool You but These Clues Give Them Away
Being pulled over is not a fun experience! Sitting on the side of the highway while waiting for the police officer to come knocking on your window, wondering if you can talk your way out of the situation. Luckily, there are some ways drivers can attempt to identify unmarked police cars to avoid getting pulled over. An unmarked police cruiser is simply a police car without any of the badging, labels, and colors. It can look almost like a civilian car, blending in with everyday traffic. While it's probably not recommended to try to point out unmarked cars instead of, you know, just driving safely and within the law, there are some things to keep in mind. We developed this guide by analyzing multiple online sources, including reputable publications such as LifeHacker and Car Throttle, and community-driven discussions on platforms like Reddit. These sources offer expert insights and firsthand experiences from drivers encountering unmarked police vehicles. The information was carefully selected to align with commonly reported indicators of unmarked police cars. I'm no expert at evading the law — the most I've gotten are a few disputed tickets. So to find the most useful signs for spotting unmarked police cars, I checked out publications like LifeHack as well as the r/driving subreddit and other forums where drivers clearly are scared of getting pulled over for whatever reason. From here, I looked up how valid these telltale signs really were and then chose the ones that seemed the most obvious for drivers to identify themselves. Just don't use this guide for evil — and if you do, don't mention me. The easiest way to spot an unmarked police car is to keep an eye out for specific car models. American brands often have a specific model that was created with the police department in mind, meeting performance and feature requirements. This includes cars like the Ford Police Interceptor Utility with a manual pursuit mode and the Dodge Charger Pursuit with its HEMI V8 engine. We're not saying all Fords and Dodges are police cars, but maybe don't challenge them at a stoplight just in case. LifeHacker states you should look for the following models: 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe PPV (RWD and 4WD) 2021 Dodge Charger Pursuit (AWD and RWD) 2021 Dodge Durango Pursuit 2020 Ford Police Interceptor Utility (based on the 2020 Ford Explorer) 2021 Ford F-150 Police Responder According to Quora, while some unmarked police cars have license plates that look no different from yours or mine, there may be a few giveaways that could give you a better indicator. Some unmarked police cars may sport municipal or exempt tags, and others don't have registration stickers. Basically, cops are above the law. Who knew? Unmarked police cars are still police cars, so they'll often have a lot of the same features. One dead giveaway is the cage that's used to separate cops from whoever is sitting in the back seat. Also called a "prisoner partition," a cage is used to keep cops and their equipment safe. According to Detective Sgt. Gordon Eatley on Quora, not all undercover police vehicles will have this feature, depending on what they're used for. However, if you see a car or truck driving around with this, it's safe to assume it's a cop vehicle, and you should slow down before you end up in the backseat yourself. You may not even have to squint into the car's backseat to notice some questionable police-related memorabilia. Unmarked police cars will often have the same gear that's found on regular police cars, like dark-tinted windows and a bullbar over the front grille. According to Car Throttle, a super common equipment that even unmarked cop cars can't resist is spotlights. There will often be at least one, which can be found on the driver's side door near the mirror. If you see one of those behind you, it's a bad day to have expired plates. Patrol cars and other police vehicles are kept very clean, according to a site dedicated to police news and equipment. Why? Most cars are shared between officers, and it's just common courtesy to keep the vehicle tidy and safe. If the car behind you looks extra shiny and free of blemishes, it could be a cop car. That's not always the case, of course — there's plenty of anal people out there that are scrubbing their cars down if even a speck of dirt is noticeable. But it's better to be safe than sorry, pulled over on the side of the road by a disinfected cop car. It's not only the car's appearance that may give away its true identity — it could be how the vehicle is driven. However, according to Blu-Eye, a company developing automotive technology, that's not a fool-proof way to identify an unmarked car, as depending on the situation, they may drive cautiously or more aggressively. If a car seems to be tailgating you, that's also sketchy behavior. If you feel as if the car is watching you or following you, it could be a nosy cop, so it's best to make sure you're obeying all traffic laws just to be on the safe side. While police cars are decked out with extra safety features like the aforementioned cage and bullbar, police departments aren't going to splurge on frivolous add-ons. Deputy Sheriff Paul Harding writes on Quora that most police cars are base models, meaning they didn't pay extra for a higher trim. For this reason, you'll often see black trim instead of chrome, including on the wheels. In case you're planning your next Fast & Furious-style bank heist, keep these tips in mind for spotting unmarked police cars. While unmarked cars can sometimes blend into daily traffic, there are some dead giveaways, like police gadgets on the outside and missing registration on the license plate. And remember, check your state's individual rules regarding unmarked police cars — some states don't allow unmarked cops to pull you over for speeding and other offenses.
Washington Post
03-06-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Republicans target Nashville's mayor for his response to immigration arrests
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Congressional Republicans are investigating Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell's response to federal immigration arrests during hundreds of traffic stops over several days in May. Rep. Andy Ogles is leading the charge, pitting the Republican who represents part of the Democratic-leaning city against a progressive mayor who has criticized immigration officials after they arrested nearly 200 people in the greater Nashville area.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
CT state police: 165 crashes this Memorial Day weekend, 16 charged with DUI
State troopers have been busy on state roads and highways this Memorial Day weekend and have made 611 traffic stops that have netted 16 arrests for alleged driving under the influence, according to Connecticut State Police. Connecticut State Police have responded to 2,548 calls for service during the time period beginning at midnight Friday May 23, and ending at 11:59 pm, on Saturday, May 24, according to the agency. During that span there have been 165 total motor vehicle crashes, 13 with injuries, two with serious injuries, but with no fatalities in that time period, according to state police. Connecticut State Police have also responded to 190 calls for traffic services through Saturday. Those type of services include debris removal, assisting with disabled or hazardous motor vehicles. AAA Club Alliance anticipated a 3% increase in travel throughout the state during the holiday five-day period from Thursday, May 22 through Monday, May 26. More than 485,000 state residents were expected to travel 50 miles or longer this weekend and more than two million people are expected to travel throughout New England, according to AAA Club Alliance. There were 83 fatalities on state roads for the year as of last week, down nearly 20 percent from this point last year, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the UConn Crash Data Repository. The numbers show the state is seeing its biggest reduction in fatal crashes in the past five years. Despite a recent fatal of fatal crashes, the 83 fatalities represent a big drop from the 108 fatalities reported at this point last year and the 109 deaths in the same time period in 2023 and 2022. Authorities remind motorists that each of those fatalities is a tragedy and has far-reaching consequences for friends and families of the victims. They urge motorists to follow traffic laws. 'They're not just stats on a paper,' a DOT spokesman has said. 'They represent human life. And people are grieving those lives. So we need to spread some of that empathy and some of that awareness that, if we all did our part we can save lives and reduce some of the tragedies that people are feeling on a daily basis in our state.'
