So there you are, pulling over your umpteenth vehicle of the month. You call in the tag and location of the stop, exit your vehicle and make your approach, keeping an eye on the occupants as you walk towards the violator’s car.
The question is: are they watching you too?
Backup cameras are becoming more and more commonplace on vehicles these days. They’re usually mounted to the back license plate area of the vehicle, but I’ve heard from friends in other agencies that some bad guys have taken to mounting one in the rear window to give them a better view of your approach.
They are relatively cheap and easy to install and the video feed can be integrated into the center console data screen, a dashboard/console mounted monitor or even the rear view mirror. Some of them even have night vision capabilities.
This technology poses a grave risk to the officer approaching the vehicle and strips a lot of the tactical advantage that you have when making your approach — especially at night when you count on darkness to help conceal your movements.
Be aware of this fact and integrate this awareness into your approach and contact when doing traffic stops. The seemingly docile and compliant occupants may have already gained the upper hand on you and are planning to murder you before you have even reached the window.
A reminder to us all to be aware that the bad guys may have eyes on you the moment you exit your vehicle. Stay vigilant and stay safe!