Police cars driving with lights on but no siren

[Anonymous]

I am not sure if this is new or not but I noticed lately that police cars have their red and blue lights on while driving. No siren, not speeding, just driving with the lights on. What does this mean? Is this new? I got scared and my dumb ass pulled over but he kept on driving. I see the police cars doing this a lot lately

[Anonymous]

It's a DC police thing. Make their presence more visible.

(I think it's both obnoxious and dumb, since it desensitizes drivers to flashing lights. But that's just me.)

[Anonymous]

They do this all the time in DC, so when a police officer was actually trying to pull me over (in DC), I didn't realize it at first. And the cop was super annoyed by this (I wasn't speeding or anything-- he (erroneously) thought I was talking on a cell phone).

[Anonymous]

My husband is a retired cop. In our state lights OR siren mean pull over. Siren is used when needed or at all intersections where requiring running of a red light. Or when lights alone don't work to get someone to pull over.
Sometimes cops also get a silent call, which means that while they are responding to an emergency they are trying to not make their approach to the scene known. My husband got this a lot with touchy domestic disputes, not wanting to escalate the situation even more, for example.

[Anonymous]

It means they're late to dinner/ other emergency, and want to cut the traffic, as per my policeman friend. Actual emergencies require lights and sirens (in my part of the country). It's just like the firehouse in my neighborhood sounding the alarm when meals are ready- it's a small town. There is no way there are 3 fires per day, all corresponding to meal times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband is a retired cop. In our state lights OR siren mean pull over. Siren is used when needed or at all intersections where requiring running of a red light. Or when lights alone don't work to get someone to pull over.
Sometimes cops also get a silent call, which means that while they are responding to an emergency they are trying to not make their approach to the scene known. My husband got this a lot with touchy domestic disputes, not wanting to escalate the situation even more, for example.

THANK YOU! The ignorance in this thread is astounding. Really? It's "obnoxious and dumb"? Or maybe....just maybe, there are times when the police don't want to announce their presence? In some situations it is safer for the officer. Sometimes it is safer for a potential victim. There are many other reasons an officer may be running just lights. My DH is Federal Law Enforcement and my brother is a Police Detective. The anti-cop nonsense is getting so old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband is a retired cop. In our state lights OR siren mean pull over. Siren is used when needed or at all intersections where requiring running of a red light. Or when lights alone don't work to get someone to pull over.
Sometimes cops also get a silent call, which means that while they are responding to an emergency they are trying to not make their approach to the scene known. My husband got this a lot with touchy domestic disputes, not wanting to escalate the situation even more, for example.

THANK YOU! The ignorance in this thread is astounding. Really? It's "obnoxious and dumb"? Or maybe....just maybe, there are times when the police don't want to announce their presence? In some situations it is safer for the officer. Sometimes it is safer for a potential victim. There are many other reasons an officer may be running just lights. My DH is Federal Law Enforcement and my brother is a Police Detective. The anti-cop nonsense is getting so old.

It's MPD policy to drive around with lights on without sirens, to advertise police presence. It's not an emergency, or a way to avoid announcing presence. The purpose is to announce presence. I've heard that former Chief Ramsey visited a country where they do it and thought it sounded like a good idea. And it stuck.

Yes, I think it's dumb. MD and VA cops don't do it.

[Anonymous]

I have seen this all around Laurel, MD recently. I bet there's more to it.

[Anonymous]

This is a DC thing with MPD. You would think I'd be used to it by now but I'm always doing double takes when I see the lights and wondering if I should pull over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband is a retired cop. In our state lights OR siren mean pull over. Siren is used when needed or at all intersections where requiring running of a red light. Or when lights alone don't work to get someone to pull over.
Sometimes cops also get a silent call, which means that while they are responding to an emergency they are trying to not make their approach to the scene known. My husband got this a lot with touchy domestic disputes, not wanting to escalate the situation even more, for example.

THANK YOU! The ignorance in this thread is astounding. Really? It's "obnoxious and dumb"? Or maybe....just maybe, there are times when the police don't want to announce their presence? In some situations it is safer for the officer. Sometimes it is safer for a potential victim. There are many other reasons an officer may be running just lights. My DH is Federal Law Enforcement and my brother is a Police Detective. The anti-cop nonsense is getting so old.

FYI, those things don't need capitals. They're just jobs, no matter how much the employees think of themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a DC thing with MPD. You would think I'd be used to it by now but I'm always doing double takes when I see the lights and wondering if I should pull over.

It has been DC's police department (MPD's) policy for years to drive with lights on to show a visible presence. It is disconcerting, because it can be hard to tell if an officer just has the lights on (per department policy), or is responding silently to a call (like a couple of PPs have described). I wish they'd drop the lights-on policy - I don't think it has made any measurable difference in neighborhoods, and it just confuses drivers.

[Anonymous]

In DC they drive with static lights on, they are not flashing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a DC police thing. Make their presence more visible.

(I think it's both obnoxious and dumb, since it desensitizes drivers to flashing lights. But that's just me.)

Well, if you were black--I'd think you'll never, ever really be desensitized to a cop's lights or the quick chirp/buzz of a cruiser. Your life, wherever you live, depends on it--so, it's good protocol, imo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In DC they drive with static lights on, they are not flashing.

They are flash/buzzing AU Park, right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a DC thing with MPD. You would think I'd be used to it by now but I'm always doing double takes when I see the lights and wondering if I should pull over.

It has been DC's police department (MPD's) policy for years to drive with lights on to show a visible presence. It is disconcerting, because it can be hard to tell if an officer just has the lights on (per department policy), or is responding silently to a call (like a couple of PPs have described). I wish they'd drop the lights-on policy - I don't think it has made any measurable difference in neighborhoods, and it just confuses drivers.

It got your attention. It made you redirect your focus. That's a good thing. DC's crime rate is the lowest it's been in decades--simmer down.