Undercover cops in NYC?

Question

Lately I've been seeing people getting pulled over by undercover cops. I once heard that they cant pull you over unless they have a marked cop car next to them. Is this true? What should I do if I ever get pulled over by an undercover in NYC, whether I was guilty or not?

Answer 1

Not true. The uniform is for visibility only. An undercover cop has all the authority, and all the arrest powers of any other officer.

Answer 2

This is probably just wrong.  Real UC's don't make arrests - that would burn them as UC's.  They live a life as undercovers.  Many don't even carry weapons.

What yiu are hearing about are just detectives working in plain clothes.  As long as they identify themselves, they can arrest you.  Whenever you get arrested, your best bet is to say nothing - guilty or not.  Miranda warnings and stuff like taht, they don't apply when you shoot your mouth off.

Answer 3

Police don't have to wear a uniform to have police powers.

The only problem is sometimes criminals pretend to be police in order to rob someone.

If you are not sure the person stopping you is a police officer don't stop in an unsafe area, drive to a well populated area before stopping.