Police Anecdotes

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Arresting the Chief Inspector for Speeding

Or: Things Aren't Always What They Seem To Be!

A delightful tale from Senior Constable Roland Chrystal, NSW Highway Patrol, Australia  (November, 2003)

I remember not so long ago, my partner and I were out one night in the inner western suburbs of Sydney Australia. We were in our fully marked Highway Patrol sedan, sitting kerbside reading the details on our in car mobile data terminal, relating to a recent sighting of a stolen late model sedan (similar to our unmarked police sedans) seen in our neck of the woods. 

It had reportedly been involved in an armed car jacking offence and a collision where a firearm was produced. However, our interest was captured when some thirty minutes prior, this same stolen vehicle had apparently pulled another motorist over and our car thief emerged in what was confidently described as a "police uniform". 

I glanced up from the computer screen to see this very stolen vehicle cruise past us and take the next available left. I quickly confirmed the registration with my bewildered partner and moments later we had commenced a high speed pursuit. 

Several red lights later, hand brake u-turns over median strips and ridiculous speeds, our supervisor understandably called off the chase for fear of the repercussions. But seconds later, our not so bright car thief was taught a swift lesson as to the inability of a large V6 rear-wheel-drive family sedan, to successfully negotiate a sweeping left hander at 170kph. 

As his wreck came to a grinding, smoking, twisted halt, I saw the felon climbing out of the drivers side window and starting to take flight. But to his grave disappointment, while trying to gather his balance and sense of direction, my partner and I redirected him to the tarmac [the 'pavement,' to Americans]. 

Within seconds, local residents were emerging from their homes to see two uniformed Highway Patrol officers lift a hand cuffed car thief from the roadway. To their amazement and to ours, he was wearing stolen Chief Inspector's overalls with full police insignia. What a sight that must have made! I made it my mission moments later, to tell the onlookers that if they took anything away with them that night, they had to realise that even the boss wasn't going to get away with speeding! To great roars of laughter and cheers we took away our crook, knowing full well that the adoring public were wise enough to realise the truth of the matter. 

There is a fine line at times between great intuitive police work and old fashioned good luck!

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