01-20-2004, 08:06 AM
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#1 (permalink)
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"Officer, I was in fear for my life"
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Who says cops dont have a sense of humor
Linky
Quote:
Police Add Twist To Bait Cars To Catch 'Bad Boys'
Bait Car Uses TV Show Theme
POSTED: 2:49 PM EST January 17, 2004
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Police have added a musical twist to the booby-trapped "bait car" that locks up would-be thieves who get behind the wheel.
The automobile is now rigged to play the theme from the television show "Cops" when officers remotely disable the engine and nab the crooks.
A videotape recently shot on the car's hidden cameras shows a man hopping in the driver's seat and muttering to himself, "I got me a good one."
He drives a short distance before an officer monitoring the situation from a remote location flips a switch that disables the engine and locks the door. Then, the car's tape player can be heard blaring the reggae-inflected tune from the television show's opening credits:
"Bad boys, bad boys/Whatcha gonna do/Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?"
The car has caught 10 thieves in two days of use last week, Lt. Marie Ballou said.
The arrests include a federal robbery suspect, four others carrying guns and one with a pending auto-theft charge, she said.
"We only put it out there once a month or so and for about three days at a time, but it's been effective," Ballou said.
Technology hidden in the cars, used by police around the country, allows police to monitor the vehicles, disable their engines, lock their doors and even remotely control their sound systems.
Columbus police put the bait car to use in July and added the "Cops" theme this month.
Car thefts have jumped recently because people are leaving their cars running unattended to warm them on cold mornings, police said.
"It's a problem we have every year in the winter," said Sgt. Larry Yates of the auto theft unit. "Just because your car's running in your driveway doesn't make it safer."
Bait cars are also used by Cleveland police, the State Highway Patrol and other law enforcement in the state.
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Personally I think this is funny as hell.
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