Unmarked police car with 'personal plate'

[simon.r]

I had an unmarked police car come past me at a rate of knots today, blue lights and sirens on, with a plate reading S999...

Someone in Notts Constabulary has a sense of humour!

 

[S-Express]

I would be surprised if that was police owned - just as likely to have been a privately-owned vehicle driven by someone with blue light authorisation.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

someone with blue light authorisation

How does that work?

 

[glasgowcyclist]

How does that work?

Medic, blood transport, mountain rescue, fire chief, all sorts. I've seen a 999 plate on a private ambulance.


GC

 

[winjim]

There's a car down my street, Range Rovery type, with what looks like lights behind the radiator grille. They seem quite obvious to me but I suppose you wouldn't notice them in a rear view mirror. I suppose one of my neighbours must be an unmarked copper. I'd have thought a 999 plate wouldn't really work for an unmarked car though



Sheffield Children's Hospital ambulance is P999 SCH, which is cool.

 

[Cubist]

One of the Yorkshire forces had a whole fleet of vans with the letters PYG in the reg numbers.

A superintendent from N Yorks I know had a force Landrover Discovery as his "company car" . Senior operational Cadre had to have cars set up as mobile command units as they were permanently on call for major incidents. One day his wife was taking the kids to the swimming baths, and as she pulled up in the car park a woman pulled alongside her and said " What do you want me to do now?" Puzzled she asked what she meant, and the woman explained that the FOLLOW ME instruction on the dot matrix sign in the back window had come on as she overtook her four miles back.

 

[classic33]

Medic, blood transport, mountain rescue, fire chief, all sorts. I've seen a 999 plate on a private ambulance.


GC

Wouldn't a medic be Green light?

 

[S-Express]

Wouldn't a medic be Green light?

Paramedic..

 

[classic33]

Paramedic..

FRU one week, ambulance the next.

 

[S-Express]

Could be any of the above. Could also be fire chief/police chief on call, special branch/security services (unlikely given the ID plate), or even someone on a wind-up, as mentioned.

 

[Beebo]

My Dad was a senior detective in a surveillance role, he would bring home the cars that had been rumbled and could no longer be used on the front line. They try to use low profile vehicles which are less likely to attract attention.
One i remember well was a purple Lancier Delta, it stuck out like a sore thumb in Brixton in the late 1980's, so we had it as a company car because all the crocks knew the car.

 

[Dayvo]

Did the driver have a bald head and was he sucking a lollipop?

 

[Dayvo]

View attachment 146644

Nice try, Adrian, but you're MORE or less my age and remember the original series.


For the benefit of younger members:

 

[Beebo]

This guy?

 

[Drago]

It's probably a senior officers own car. Divisional commanders, ACPO ranks etc often have their own motors lit up.

The 999 plate is a joke. Traditionally coppers cars are targeted by the scum for keying etc so we were always advised against plates like that. Certain CID officers in sensitive roles, SB and senior officers have their registrations PNC blocked to prevent villains or terrorists tracking them down, so to then put on such a plate is the mark of an idiot.