Today I called the cops...
 

On the cops... just because I could.
Unmarked car out on the street in 3 or 4 different parking spots, no paint or decals on it anywhere, dark blue crown vic. Guy in a Gophers sweatshirt in the drivers seat tapping into a puter and on his phone, cam on the dash...(looked like a standard unmarked, I guess)

I wandered over to say "Hi" because he was directly in front of my house.
"What are you doing, checking speeds?" (there is a pretty high percentage of speeding on my street, I thought they might be studying it)
"Nope, something else."
And that is all he said. Which annoyed me. I am not usually a twitchy Gladys Kravitz, but...
So I called the non-emergency number, just to see if I asked what the hell he was doing (with the plate #) if they would tell me. She gave me to a dispatcher, I described an unmarked dark blue, no paint, no decals, no unit number, no gov plates car parked with a guy tapping into a computer for hours on my street and he just said "okay, we'll check it out." Of course I didn't mention the antenna pucks or anything. ;)
Truly, curiosity killed the cat, and I thought it quite odd. The wife got an "administrative traffic citation" (read "revenue generation") the other day, and first thought is that he was doing this... He wasn't, and didn't stop any cars. Not that a dude driving a police car wearing a sports themed sweatshirt would.
Just odd.



:tf

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Normally, I'd be on your side and say that he was probably up to no good. But you said he was wearing a Gophers sweatshirt, so he must be a nice guy. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt...

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

I experienced something similar quite a few years ago. I was walking down the street late one night and noticed a suspicious car (Ford Taurus) parked with the interior light on. I walked past and kept going, when I noticed that they pulled away from the curb and began tailing me for a bit. I kept walking along casually and finally they turned around and left. They weren't delivering newspapers or anything. Weird.

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Might not have been a cop, might have been a fed. You gotta stop hiring those illegals to mow your lawn Pete.

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

They couldn't reach the frozen lawn under the 2 1/2 feet of snow above it right now, AND I am one of those guys that likes doing it himself... It's a control issue. Still could have been a fed, but he didn't appear to be in contact with the black helicopters hovering behind the invisible dirigibles.

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Good chance it was a PI.

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

reminds me of that pastor that got shot by an undercover police officer. the pastor was having trouble with vandalism at his church. He then proceeds to approach the vehicle in the middle of the night that was parked in the church parking lot. seems the pastor was holding his hand gun and well it didnt end well. turns out the cop was doing a routine patrol of the neighbor hood due to the vandalism.

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Never trust a Gopher any farther than you can catapult one..:sl

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Good on you...I would have called from a pay phone and said I saw a suspicious persons peeping through my neighbors window then went back to the car to document what he saw...then I'd sit back and watch the fun stuff begin...just sayin

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Maybe he was from US Border and Customs Patrol Pete
:lv

;s

:r:r:r

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Maybe he was part of the investigation chronicling the weird humming noises in your immediate area reported via internet forums

:tf

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

I wonder if my equipment is showing up with their equipment. Might be time to move on. Your life is quite ordinary anyway with the exception of the bunny slippers you wear every day,


MCS

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Those are actual bunnies.


Wait, maybe it's the ASPCA.....

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

aww man you had to go and bust on my guys lol. We do have plain clothes units though. And were actually called US Border Patrol. We dont like being associated with customs people.

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Did he leave or otherwise change any behavior after your call?

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Maybe he was cruising for open wireless networks and stealing information from people?

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Maybe he was on a stakeout or investigation and didn't feel the need to compromise it by detailing to you what he was doing? ;)

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

:tpd:

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

I did this to a P.I once. He was out infront of my business taking pictures of the house/people one door down as well as my front area. The houses are very close and he couldn't help but get the front of my place in his shots. I went out there and asked him what was going on and he gave me an attitude. He was very rude, told me it was none of my business and that I should go back inside and leave him alone. So I called the routine calls number of the local police department, told them there was a strange man out front sitting in his car, take pictures of the front of my business and I was afraid that he might try to rob us. They sent down 3 cars which block him front, back and side and questioned him for a good 15 minutes before coming in and telling us that he was a P.I. on an insurance fraud cause. Everything could have been avoided if he was just a little nicer.

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Right....he should tell someone, "yes, I am working an insurance fraud case on your neighbor". The neighbor is that person's friend, so they go inside, call him, and tell him not to do anything that will jeopardize the fraud he is perpetrating on the insurance company that hired the P.I. Yeah, makes total sense.

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

All he had to say is that he was a P.I. working a case. It could have been on anything. He was snapping away at everything around could have been on or about anything really. Instead he decided to be rude. If he didn't want to be asked questions maybe he shouldn't have parked infront of a restaurant with large windows all along the street right after the lunch rush.

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

I only assume he was coming for your light beer.

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

It seems that Magnum was always a little stealthier; that was back in the good ole days I suppose.

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Thank god I have none to give him.


In retrospect, I think it may have been a city flunky working for the traffic and planning commission that borrowed an "extra" city vehicle. One with capability to run plates. We have a much higher traffic rate on our street than it was designed for, and have consulted the city about it (being a "shortcut" for a larger development that was built later behind our neighborhood.)
My only analysis was that he was running plates and plotting salient home addresses in a map to find where the high volume traffic originated from.


That.... Or he was a lost alien ship commander and couldn't recognize the adaptive cloaking of his former ship and was trying to find it.

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Too bad. He should have been better at not being suspicious looking.

The first time someone gets murdered or a kid gets taken and we find out someone noticed the suspicious person but didn't notify anyone, everyone gets all bent out of shape for people 'not caring'.

Anyone parks anywhere near my house doing what this guy did in the OP, and he gets the cops called on him. He probably gets his own picture taken first, in case the cops get there late.

:2

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

I'm with Dan. This makes more sense. I don't think the Feds would sit in an obvious car in plain clothes. Kinda seems to pointless.

Maybe a personal vendeta against one of your neighbors. Making them paranoid

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Since when did everyone all of a sudden have a right to know what other people are doing? Or feel justified in being upset when they aren't "in on" what's going on. Was he parked on private property? Or was he on a public street?

<shakes head and walks away>

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Pete,
We use lots of investigators in our fraud investigations.
The very last thing any of them will ever, ever do is tell someone the true reason why they are there, specially any information on the party being investigated. That can lead to privacy issues and result in potential slander and defamation charges.
As such, mum is the word usually.
If on public grounds and one is concerned, notify the police and let them investigate. If they are the police, well, life goes on as doubt they will share the reason for activity and tip anyone off.

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

If something odd or out of the ordinary happens in my neighborhood, I want to be aware of the situation.
Curiosity, nothing really more than that. It is good to remember, that sometimes the watchers need to know they too are being watched. There is a "small" amount of corruption in our fair city. Tax monies can be squandered in a multitude of ways, among other things. Look upon it as ensuring my public employees know they are on my dime. "Justified in being upset"? Not upset at all, but I do find a fair amount of cynicism and curiosity can be positively used. Situational awareness is an admirable trait, Tyr, and quite frankly, I feel it is a habit worth practicing. Some people never know what is going on around them. Any douchebag can buy an old city Crown Vic, complete with hockey pucks on the trunk, drivers side search light, etc.

The car was pretty solid as being a current or retired city/county unit, but the complete lack of markings of any type raised my curiosity. There was no real attempt at being "discreet." There is, however, a fairly high percentage of my cities workers I have come into contact with (I would put it at about 80%, perhaps 4 out of the last 5 just in the past few months) haven't been the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree. This, of course, doesn't directly correlate with the personal adage I try to remind myself of, "Folks, half of the people you run into every day are below average, and it behooves anyone to take that into account."
;)

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Understood Pete. I was more pointing my comments towards Neens and his situation but I understand yours as well. I'm all for people being aware of what's going on in their neighborhood. While neighborhood watch programs are often frustrating on a quantity of calls basis, they do in fact on occasion alert officers to valid crimes etc.

I guess my issue was with the "well he was rude" post earlier up. If I had a nickel for every time someone was rude to me.... I'd have like 10 cents ;)

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

I see a guy camped out taking pictures out in front of your house as a no-win situation. If he's on a/the job, he's not going to tell you anything, which is just going to piss you off. If he's not on a/the job, then he's probably doing something shady, which should piss you off.

And, as for the guy in the car, he's not going to be happy to have to talk to you because you're either a) screwing with his job or b) screwing with the "job" he's about to pull.

Either way, everyone is pissed off. See, no win :)

So that's why I just call Tom or Tyr ;)

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

So I suppose you wouldn't agree with my methodology when I pulled an Axel Foley and shoved a tater up his tailpipe?

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

In one more year, you can't call me anymore :tu

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LgHJ0Gou8p...20/2547610.jpg

A huh huh huh <-- Axel Foley laugh ;)

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

[quote=Eleven;1182162]
banana

sheesh. kids these days. And note the continuity problem in the movie where the banana he picked from the buffet clearly isn't the one be put in the tailpipe.

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

If someone is parked in your neighborhood doing something that you consider suspicious, call the local police non-emergency number and let them handle it. I live across from a grade school and anyone parked in front of my house taking pictures is gonna get reported quick.

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

No one would dare be rude to you, Tyr. It's clearly wrong to be rude to someone shorter than Gerry. :tu

You set yourself up for that one, oh "luscious" one. :r

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Randy Newman was rude to me once.... ONCE!

LOL, no one is rude to luscious objects of desire ;)

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

I'm sorry Týr, but "Luscious" does not go with your Avatar :)

i dare you to say that in a falsetto voice with limp wrists.

seriosuly stuff like that is as fun as the supper troopers meow game. got me thru many a day while i was in uniform.
Posted via Mobile Device

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

I would play the meow game in the ambulance with the drunks. :tu

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

I can see it meow...

"What hurts, chicken f****r..."

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

[quote=markem;1182305]Artistic license.

And taters work better.


Not that I would know.

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

I said he might be a cop, Scott....I never said he might be a good cop. ;) :r

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

In two years you might not be able to call me either meow.

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

:tu THIS!!! x100 (only if you meant that in the way in which I think you mean it ;))



And Michael, the luscious thing started when someone mispronounced my username as "Luscious-XXX" :lr

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

Been crunching numbers, and it seems to make sense as long as I can figure out what to do next, and make sure whatever it is gives me some health insurance. :)

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

:tu :noon :banger :xxx

Excellent! I hope it works out for you brother. Lord knows you've put in the work and the time. Much deserved. You could always become a tow truck driver and start breaking laws LOL

Re: Today I called the cops...
 

New banter thread!;)