What is considered entrapment?

[gacue24]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? GA
Is it illegal for a policeman to sit in a shopping center parking lot with a used car lot in front of it and try to catch speeders?
I was under the impression that they are suppose to be in plain veiw, on a bridge, or around a curve, or over a hill, even sitting in the woods but in plain veiw

 

[seniorjudge]

Q: Is it illegal for a policeman to sit in a shopping center parking lot with a used car lot in front of it and try to catch speeders?

A: No.

 

[racer72]

Police generally cannot use artificial means to hide from the public. Nothing in your post suggests anything illegal.

 

[seniorjudge]

Police generally cannot use artificial means to hide from the public. Nothing in your post suggests anything illegal.

You mean no more hiding behind billboards like on Andy Griffith?

 

[CdwJava]

Heck ... they can dress in coveralls, pretend to be fixing a car engine, and still hit you with radar. Usually that entails calling the stop in to a marked unit, but I don't know that any state mandates the guy holding the radar be in uniform and a marked unit.

- Carl

 

[racer72]

I read that while reading a Washington State Patrol trooper's handbook. A couple of examples given were placing tree branches on the patrol car to hide it or erecting a temporary sign to hide the car. Hiding behind a permanent sign is perfectly legal. Barney Fife has nothing to worry about.

 

[Maestro64]

For state that use ticketing as a revenue generator they do allow the police to use any tactic they want to target people.

However in PA where they do not allow this practice and locals are not allowed to use radar for the above reason is considering updating this and allowing locals to use radar and LIDAR. With the update in the law they put this provision in

(2) Whenever radio-microwave speed timing devices or infrared laser light devices are used by a local or regional police officer of a political subdivision authorized under subsection (c), the police officer must locate the vehicle with the radio-microwave speed timing device or infrared laser light device in a location that is not intentionally concealed from the motoring public.

Here is the entire updated law which had not been enacted since they are still fighting over whether they could keep locals from abusing the citizens with excessive ticketing for revenue purposes.

SENATE BILL 1179 P.N. 1594

Every time I hear people say ticketing is not about revenue but safety then why do those states and cities with high % of revenue form ticketing do not have similar rules like PA which clearly levels the playing field and make local governments accountable.