Thief steals marked patrol car

[ckadiddle]

For your amusement. :D

From the Orlando Sentinel

Gutsy thief steals cop car, then gets smart

From Sentinel staff reports
June 28, 2005
SEMINOLE COUNTY -- No one saw the car thief who struck near Sanford Monday night, but the thief's choice of stolen wheels suggested someone with more guts than brains: a marked Seminole County sheriff's patrol car.

The green and white patrol car was left running outside Seminole County Fire Station 41 on East Highway 46 about 9:15 p.m. when someone jumped in and drove off, sheriff's officials said.

Within minutes radio bulletins were broadcast to law-enforcement agencies around the region to watch out for the Ford Crown Victoria. It was found abandoned a couple of hours later near U.S. Highway 17-92 and County Road 427, left behind a convenience store and a car dealership.

It was hard to say why a thief would want a marked patrol car, said Seminole sheriff's Chief Deputy Steve Harriett. But the car contained a sheriff's issue shotgun, and officers were worried the thief might try to pose as a police officer.

"Obviously when you've you got a stolen law-enforcement vehicle, there's a concern that someone might try to misuse it," Harriett said.

The shotgun was found with the patrol car. No arrests had been made late Monday, but sheriff's officials said they were "working on leads" in the case.

[Rider90]

That sounds like when one of our cabs got jacked in the City of Chicago. Little did he know that our cabs unlike many other companies are GPS tracked so we can give a more efficient ETA to the customer. So the dispatcher is on the phone with Chicago P.D. telling them where the cab is and what direction he is headed - then the guy hits a police car :baaa:

[wsmylie]

I certainly wouldn't want to suggest that any of our nation's law enforcement agents would be anything but professional, but.... I have "heard" that sometimes, on some departments, when a dummy leaves his car running and unattended; some fellow officers just drive it off and park it somewhere to teach the idiot a lesson. I assume that since the unit was left running in front of a fire-house, the guy probably was not there on an emergency call... more likely was inside using the phone, the men's room or watching TV. Have also "heard" that watching a guy's reaction when he comes out to find his radio car missing can be pretty entertaining. Just a thought.

[oldekid]

That's funny. I forwarded the story to a lady that I work with. She rides along with these guys and knows most of them.

It sounds like they left it right across the street from the Longwood Lincoln Mercury dealership.