Secret Service and NYPD Unmarked Police Vehicles
New York City, May 2011. NYPD and United States Secret Service vehicles can be seen here in the vicinity of Ground Zero during the presidential visit of Barack Hussein Obama to celebrate the death of Osama Bin Laden. Forward flashing blue lights distinguish the USSS vehicles from the NYPD vehicles which only use red and white forward flashing lights.
NYPD Undercover Police Taxi Responding Lights and Siren
The NYPD undercover police taxi of the Taxi Squad. Catching one responding with lights and siren is as rare as hen's teeth. In the first clip you'll see a high-speed emergency response by three NYPD police cars: the first two police cars are normally marked NYPD Ford Crown Victoria police interceptors, but the third one, also responding with lights and siren, is an undercover police taxi. The second clip is the arrival on scene of the police cars in the first clip, filmed just a minute or so afterwards. In the third video you will see a close up of a NYPD undercover police taxi driven by a uniformed officer. (Both uniformed and plain-clothes officers drive these vehicles.)
The New York Police Department has been using undercover cabs for many years and this is a classic example of a couple of them. The newer undercover police taxis, using the Nissan Altima Hybrid are so well done they are indistinguishable from the real thing, but with the Ford Crown Victoria there are two tell-tale signs that quickly distinguish the undercover police taxi from a real taxi.
First and foremost the undercover police taxi is the short wheelbase version of the Ford Crown Victoria, so the rear door is shorter than on a real taxi. Contrary to many other cities in the United States, New York City taxis are not retired police cars. New York City taxis are special order long-wheelbase Crown Vics and thus have long rear doors. However, the NYPD undercover police taxi is, in fact, a real police car, the famed P71 police interceptor which is based on the short wheelbase Crown Vic. So if you see a New York taxi cab with short rear doors you will know instantly that it's a police car. No other yellow cab in New York City uses the short rear doors.
The second sign is the dual Exhaust. A real New York taxi has only a single Exhaust. The undercover police taxi has a dual Exhaust as per the Ford police interceptor package.
Some of the New York City undercover police taxis have a license plate that does not match the taxi number on the roof, but this is usually on older vehicles. This has been changed as we see here in the last video.
Another tell-tale sign on the Crown Vics is the presence UHF radio antennas on the trunk as we see in the last video. You will not see these on the Nissan Altima Hybrid.
For more photos and information about these police taxis I highly recommend this site: http://www.nyctaxiphoto.com/search/label/Fake%20%20NYC%20Taxis
Manhattan, New York, New York, USA. 01/03.2012
NYPD Unmarked Police Car Stopping Bicycle
SEE BELOW FOR UPDATE
An unmarked police car of the New York Police Department catches up with a bicycle that ran a red light at the intersection of 6th Avenue and West Houston Street. The fine? $270.
Update: the sound of Exhaust is not coming from the cop car, it's coming from the FX50 whose owner contacted me and I put his video response in the comments section so you can see and hear it for yourself.
Manhattan, New York, New York, USA. 03.2012
NYC Cab is flipped over by NYPD following an accident on 7th Ave.
A beautiful sunny morning in Chelsea when one cab driver fell asleep at the wheel and was rear-ended by another cab and flipped on 7th Avenue. Passenger and driver were being taken to the hospital when I walked up
Police Escort: NYPD Police Car Assists a Minivan Through Red Lights
This is an interesting and rarely seen event: a police car escorting a civilian car through red lights. If anyone has any idea what is going on here let me know :-) . The cars are traveling south on West End avenue at about 71st street. Also I should note that it was 6:00 am.
UPDATE 05.2012: Not long ago family members contacted me saying that someone was having an epileptic seizure in the minivan and the police car was helping the minivan get to the hospital. This seems probable.
Manhattan, New York, New York, USA. 05.2011
Unmarked Dodge Charger Police Car Responding - New York City
Undercover police car, most likely federal law enforcement. Notice the heavily tinted windows, including the thick dark strip on the windshield hiding the blue lights. Notice as well how low the car is sitting to the ground. No radio antennas are visible. Forward facing blue lights are not used on New York City (or state) police vehicles.
Manhattan, New York, New York, USA. 05.2011
