# You won't see intrepid cops, but you can bet they'll see you



## Brian823 (Nov 21, 2003)

You won't see intrepid cops, but you can bet they'll see you
By Robin Washington/Roads Scholar
Monday, March 15, 2004 

Attention speeders: Watch out for the Dodge Intrepid. Or any other car with three antennas on the roof. 

That's the message from the Massachusetts State Police Stealth program, which stands for State Police Traffic Enforcement Aimed at Lowering Crashes by Targeting Hazardous Drivers. 

In other words, they're using unmarked cars. 

``This makes them very discreet,'' Sgt. Scott Range said. ``This also makes them very effective.'' 

And to prove it, he invited us to ride along - though at first he sounded like a car rental agent. 

``I can put you in an Intrepid or a similar vehicle designed to do the same type of work,'' he offered. 

We chose the latter, which will remain secret, and rode with Sgt. Dean Bennett in the Route 3/I-93/495 area, finding no end of cars passing us pushing 80 mph. 

``You see lots of people going 75-80 but they're not creating a hazard,'' said Bennett, who didn't generally react unless they were doing something else wrong. 

A BMW going 88 was. 

``He's on that guy's bumper,'' Bennett said as our car morphed into a cacophony of flashing blue. 

The real anti-road-rage stuff is inside the car, however: dash camera, two types of radar and a computer online with the Registry. 

``I asked him if he's had any violations in the past 12 months,'' he said. ``I can check (if he's) honest.'' 

He was but he was cited. 

Troopers can also call up drivers' pictures, which Bennett found useful after stopping a woman recently. Or so he thought. 

``I come back to the car and it's registered to a guy. She had two different licenses, one male and one female,'' he said. 

Rights of the transgendered aside, that's not quite legal. 

While our ride didn't net any criminals, it probably did nab folks a marked car wouldn't have. 

The National Motorists Association's Ivan Sever questioned that. 

``It's only designed to make money,'' he said. 

``If the object were to slow people down, they would be using marked cars with their lights flashing all day.'' 

Sgt. Range disagreed. 

``We see things we normally wouldn't see. Would someone drive by a marked cruiser at 100 mph?'' 

Maybe not, but we see it enough. And our cellphone's set to the state police.


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## JP64 (Jul 25, 2002)

Saw one on a stop this a.m. on the Pike. Nice lighting, two LED units in the front window, one on the dash, one above the mirror.


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## JohnBarleycorn (Jul 8, 2003)

*Re: You won't see intrepid cops, but you can bet they'll see*



Brian823 said:


> Troopers can also call up drivers' pictures, which Bennett found useful after stopping a woman recently.


So MSP's MDT's can see registry pics now? Or is this coming soon to a municipality near you??


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## j809 (Jul 5, 2002)

MT1, Is that really him!!!!!! :mrgreen: :L: :L: 

P.S. I really hate that guy!


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## bbelichick (Aug 25, 2002)

We were lucky to have with us Ivan Sever and Fred Birnbaum of the National Motorists Association. Ivan is the Massachusetts representative, and Fred is the New Hampshire representative, of this grass roots organization devoted to protecting the rights of the American driver. Two of their chief causes are the implementation of safe and realistic speed limits on our roads and fighting the use of speeding tickets as a means of collecting revenue. The NMA was one of the organizations responsible for getting the national 55 mph speed limit overturned. Another major goal of the NMA is to improve driver training and safety programs.

Membership in the NMA allows them to continue to advocate these causes, as well as giving access to various resources, including a legal defense kit that provides you with everything you need to successfully fight an unjust speeding ticket in court. The phone number of the National Motorists Association is 1-800-882-2785, and their web site is www.motorists.com.

[Ivan Sever has sent me mail asking that we post a link to NMA's Massachusetts page, which is http://www.motorists.org/ma. He also now maintains an email list of Massachusetts speed traps and other information. Send mail to [email protected] for more information. -Webmaster]

http://www.boston-bmwcca.org/bimmer/1998/04/general-meeting.asp


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## Guest (Mar 16, 2004)

Ever since this news hit the airwaves, a significant portion of motorists are giving me a good second look. Some are even slowing down! I don't have to use my blinders as much anymore. :lol: 

Guinness2429(maroon Dodge Interpid w/ the pigtail)


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## GMACK24 (Jun 2, 2003)

and a pic from the herald


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## Killjoy (Jun 23, 2003)

This clown Sever is a boil on the ass of humanity....I would like to see him go up against the CAT team on an "unjust" ticket...those guys would hang him out to dry!


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## Guest (Mar 17, 2004)

It's all about how you present yourself in court. If you are articluate, well-spoken and confident, these arrogant do-gooders don't have a prayer. If you're not properly prepared and lackng in confidence, the judge and the person appealing the ticket sense it. This goes for anytime you testify whether it's a speeding ticket or a 1st degree murder. The deck is already stacked against us, so don't assist these self-important pricks win their ticket appeals.

Guinness2429


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## TheFuzz357 (Feb 21, 2003)

It's no surprise he's from the "Peoples Republic of Cambridge"! :uc:


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## thumper2168 (Sep 10, 2003)

State Police Detectives also have handhelds that can call up the RMV picture and do anything that a CJIS terminal can do...


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## Killjoy (Jun 23, 2003)

Actually any of us with 2003 cruisers have the same laptops with the same capabilities (including RMV photos, etc.).....except for cruisers assigned in B-Troop areas not covered by Verizon.


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2004)

Having a picture at a mv stop of the registered owner of vehicle or the alleged operator from license info is an outstanding tool long overdue. Should catch a lot of folks trying to play the name game at the very least.

Guinness2429


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## rhl (Jun 10, 2002)

Guinness, Maybe those two guys above pay off the clerks to dismiss all the tickets in court #57. Heaven knows the last time anyone got any court time on our job. rhl


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## Guest (Mar 24, 2004)

That's too bad, Sarge, because, like I used to say in my Mid shift days, "A day without court is like a day without sunshine." See you Sunday in Dorchester.

Guinness2429


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