Is this unique to my town or do others in other towns see it

I'm BRAND new here, but felt compelled to post since I've been reading this board for a year or so now, and find very good and intresting information.

I have recently noticed what I would consider to be a unique situation at ALL of the strip malls, banks and other private stores / shops.

For the past 3 weeks, every single strip mall that has a wal-mart, target or K-mart has several un-manned police cars parked in front. Even some of the stand alone retail places (Fry's Electronics) has these cars parked in front.

My first question is: Is this something occuring all over the country, or only here? Second, Do the police have some sort of "rental department" to generate additional revenue by parking these unmanned cars at these places of business? Third, could see if one retail giant did this, but 3?? This indicates something not requested by the retail stores, but maybe MANDATED by the "powers that be" of this soon to be police state? Fourth, areyou kidding me?? Am I the only one who is pis$$ed off by this flagrant attempt to "scare" people while shopping, or invade private property with more government (albeit local) presence in an attempt to control the "sheople".

Now please, before anyone says " I think it's great..." or "They should do that in more places...", or some Law Enforcement person replies with why this is a wonderful theft deterrent idea...." Please save those comments, I'm really getting sick of this place (I don't just mean Vegas), and its reasons for why its taking more and more of our freedoms an hiding behind some Patriot Act or some other BS like that.

I'd LOVE to hear someones elses honest opinion of what they think of this, or if its only happening in Vegas.

Thanks for your patience with the Newbie, but man, enough is enough out here, and it's tim to vent a little.

reply to post by whathastheusbecome


I have seen this to, and they are always instances where the police were called to the scene.

This is representative of the amount of crime that occurs at these types of places. I would recommend trying to find a mom & pops store that these psychotically deranged shoppers are not so rapidly drawn to.

I am guessing that you live in the Bay area, since you said Fry's Electronics. I used to live near Fremont, CA and have seen what you described, I have also seen it in the other cities I have lived in. Even 15 years ago. Some grocery stores have a police annex (for lack of a better word). Basically a room in the store with a desk where a policeman does his paperwork for shoplifters. I inquired about it before and was told that stores that have high crime and/or shoplifting do this. Hope that eases your mind a little.

Unmarked police vehicles and police officers/security people dressed in civilian clothes is not anything new, its called undercover operations, and works very well catching thieves and crooks.


Cheers!!!!

Really not that unusual at all, as this is the busiest time of year for both shoppers & shoplifters. Shoplifters know that it's much more difficult for stores to catch them when they can only watch a limited amount of people at once.

Some of the unmarked cops you see are probably hired by the stores or malls and some are probably working for the city just waiting to process those already or soon to be in custody.

Seems allot of cars get broken into in parking lots as well, because thieves know there's more goodies to be gotten.



[edit on 20-12-2008 by verylowfrequency]

Here in our area they have the police at larger stores setting around and walking in the shops. They do this about every year that I can remember.

We have had two times where the police where caught going around the parking lots with there flashlights looking into the cars of the people shopping.
It was said that they where looking for stolen items out of stores, well they found none but did have cars opened to look for what they said was drugs.
None was found.

So yes they help stop shrinkage as the stores call it, but some have gone beyond that and started looking for anything that they could find. Did not go well and some of they stores have asked for them to leave.
This seems to be the norm for some police . When I heard the news on this I wondered how many are doing this as they work, How many of us have been searched during the day or night just so they can see we are doing what we should be doing. I have to wonder how many people have been brought in and the lives messed up for nothing. I watch these TV shows where they catch the bad guys, but what they do not ever seem to show is all the people who did nothing but where arrested and dragged through the system and found that they had done nothing.

it seems NO ONE actually read my post. I looked at each and every one of your replies and they all mention things I myself have seen for years and expect, BUT this is new and Totally different.

I am not talking about un-mrked cars, plain clothes cops, security, undercover, or any PEOPLE of any kind. These are completely marked, Las Vegas Metro Squad Cars that sit for weeks on end right in front of these stores, strategically parked. someone comes at night and turns them to face a new direction, then they sit that way for 24 hours. There is ZERO police presence other than the car, and I count now, its at 15 retail shopping complexes. Isn't this private property.

I know this because my wife and I jokingly remarked to the Manager of one of the Wal-Marts, that wow, "are they sellng squad cars for X-Mas now", and she aid I'm not sure what's going on...this just started, and its really weird because we have no crime here, or police, just the car.

And she was the manager of the store!!

I've heard a term for these used when they do it on highways (public property) to deter speeders, they're called scarecrows, but NEVER seen it before on private property, and if I check back on my calendar, this seems to have started right about mid November.

So thanks for all the replies to my posts people, BUT, every one of you missed the mark.

AND asI said I'm in Vegas, not the bay area.

I have not seen this, and the area I live in is not the greatest. I haven't been to Walmart in ages, so I don't know if they have empty cars, but the Target nearby never does. I am guessing that maybe police departments are doing this for extra revenue? Contracting to have their cars parked there when not being used? Kind of a clever idea.

Stores like walmart account for every penny, if they could discourage even a small percentage of shoplifters by paying a few bucks to rent a cop car they will do it. I bet it is effective too, people see it when entering the store and it probably has a psychological effect and acts as a crime deterrant.

Personally I do not have a problem with it. .

[edit on 20-12-2008 by Sonya610]

Couldn't the cops be in the back of the stores, where you cannot see them? Flipping out that the 'powers that be' are mandating this is laughable.

Remember, most stores have dozens of cameras and a nice little room to review and watch them.

I also know for a fact that Store Managers will lie to your face about things happening in the backroom, seeing as how I used to work midnight shift, and they have no reason to be truthful. Unless they know you on a personal basis, they can (and usually) think you could be a criminal. Also, most stores cannot stop you if you start to steal, they fire you on the spot if you attempt to stop a shoplifter and you can be sued by the thief. So they could very well have a Cop sitting around the back or a non uniformed officer in the store.

[edit on 20-12-2008 by SweetRevenge]

[edit on 20-12-2008 by SweetRevenge]

I haven't noticed this here in the Beaverton/Hillsboro area...as of yet. I'll have to watch and maybe take some cell phone pics.

Just saw this post!!

www.abovetopsecret.com...



[edit on 20-12-2008 by Komodo]

reply to post by SweetRevenge


pretty sure I didn't flip out. And, laughable...nice response, thanks for the hospitality. However, no, it isnt what you suggest. As I said, its numerous, specific stores, the cars are unmanned, no cops there, and no reason for them to be.

People please understand I know the difference between unmarked, non-uniformed, law enforcement tactics for catching, interrogating and perimeter patrols and all that good stuff. This is the blatantly parking o "scarecrow" MARKED cars directly in fron of the stores, with no men, women, dogs, or alien officers anywhere on the property. period.

I just wanted to know if this was unique to my city, or if anyone else had seen this. I really didn't want a bunch of replies from people just being smart asses. Maybe next time I have something to share, I'll just keep it in. Seems to be what the rest of the US is doing these days and why more and more of our freedoms, independence and privacy rights and other are vanishing buried in bills that get passed without anyone stepping up.

PEOPLE, pay attention to wats going on these days, really....there are strange and constant changes happening every day. NO, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, or anyone paranoid about anything, I'm justa concerned citizen, who is watcing it all slip away from us, and it's getting a bit unnerving.

Thank to the one or two people who had valuable input and observations.



This is something different. If your only goal is to poke fun and state the obvious (relative to a different subject), then please control yourself and just not reply.