Why do LEOs say detectors don't work?

[justin81]

Stupid question, I know, but I'm curious, and I'm sure some LEOs post here. Do most LEOs say detectors don't work because they want to fool the public into believing it? Or, is it because they catch plenty of stupid detector users who don't know how to interpret the readings, have Cobras, think they are "immune" from getting caught because they have a detector, etc.?

I've talked with some LEOs who have acknowledged that detectors work. The most common response I've encountered was "yeah, they work if the radar is left on, but we use instant on/laser, so you're screwed".

[hockey005]

i would say most leos dont know a lot bout RD's so when they pull people over with the most popular Cobras they realize they are pulling all these people over with them so they must not work. Also, you can't really defend against i/o without a rabbit if they mean that..but if a cop knows RD's and he sees a v1/escort/beltronics he will know they work

[stealthJamal]

Why do LEOs say detectors don't work?

Because they don't work, we just like wasting our money on useless junk.

[CJR238]

Why do LEOs say detectors don't work?

Because they don't work, we just like wasting our money on useless junk.

so true

[TSi+WRX]

Because I/O, pacing, and VASCAR are all other elements to the game, and allow the cards to be stacked, heavily, in favor of an enforcer who is willing and able to perfect his/her craft.

There's also a "lowest-common-denominator" issue at play as well. The vast majority of the driving public WITH detectors either have equipment which is ill-suited or barely-adequate for the speeds they tend to travel, or, alternatively, they just don't know how to properly operate their countermeasures.

A local enforcer, who also happens to be an active enthusiast in our local car-club, tells the tale of a gentleman whom he's repeatedly pulled over. This particular individual has over 20 (that's right, twenty) convictions on-record, and yet, he continues to speed, using the same oblivious practices that's continued to get him into trouble, despite having a V1.

[jerry540i]

It's how they're brainwashed. Speed kills. Higher speed limits lead to carnage on the highways. Radar doesn't make mistakes. They're always right. You're always wrong. Blah blah blah.

J/

[spankyaf]

They think that because they stop people all the time with rds. What they dont know is how many escape them because of the rd.

[AirForceECM]

They think that because they stop people all the time with rds. What they dont know is how many escape them because of the rd.

Yea, but I must admit, I love passing one up who is shooting constant-on K or Ka on the highway and having PLENTY of time to slow down and they see my RD (because as of right now its sitting in the middle of the Windshield) and give me the evil grin..... "I know you were speeding, but I can't prove it!!" :roll: :roll: Another point for this guy.... Zero for the LEO :wink: oh and yes i forgot..... RD's don't work, we are just all stupid and wasting our money.. :cry: :cry:

[CMERollin]

Hahaha yall are going to have a good laugh at this. I was just looking around the officer.com forum and heres what they got to say about radar detectors. Read this first guys post about doing 80 in a 65

Originally Posted by mose16
heres a situation. you are going 80 in a 65. come over a hill and you see a cop, downshift, going 70, get pulled over. he tells you he clocked you at 82. you have a top of the line radar detector (escort passport, v1, bell) and it never went off. now although it's not recorded, you know there was no radar confirmation to the officer observing you speeding. it couldn't have been a stop watch, because of his location. despite him knowing you were speeding, the state still requires radar confirmation. could this ticket be fought or would it be his word against mine?

First .... You never know when the next curve or hillcrest or tree or median crossove is going to reveal the next cop .... but the next cop always knows exactly where the next potential violator is coming from .... and it's always from over that hillcrest, or around that curve, or past that stand of trees, or past the dirt embankment. He is alerted when just the front bumper or roof top or trailer top is in view. Where there is a rooftop, there is something under it. It takes maybe 37.5 mili secs to release a hold button .... or less. The element of surprise, if present, is always favoring those lying in wait.

Second .... Several possibilities come to mind .............
2) ... Maybe he used LIDAR

3) ... Maybe he used just a very short duration shot. I have demonstrated this to people myself, set their top of line detector on the dash on top ofthe radar readout, and release the hold on the Hawk and reapply it after seeing the speed fast enough that the detector either did not go off, or at the very least, the radar was back on hold when the detector did alert a few milisecs later. These demos occur usually when a client is caught using a radar detector and speeding and swears the detector never alerted, yet it was turned on .... like they thought I was lying.

4) ... Or in the least, it would appear that his eye is keenly tuned to judging speeds of oncoming vehicles over hillcrests, as the "reading" he stated of 82 is pretty close to your admitted speed of 80, perhaps even closer to true speed than even your own car's speedo.

this ones a quote from an officer telling about what he thinks of laser detection

I really don't buy the story about LIDAR detection. You have to have the lidar beam pointed directly at the lidar detector's antenna or IR pick-up.

Considering lidar has a beam that is approx. 3' wide at 1000 ft.....maybe the width of a car at a quarter mile. It is very hard to detect. Additionally the lidar is an instant on-off type of measuring device. There really are no reliable detectors for lidar. Of course it will work if the beam is right on the lens of the detector, but by then it's too late.

It is true you may pick up lidar beam scatter at extreme distances but beyond 5000' the infrared beam is not much stronger than naturally occurring infrared radiation. If it works to slow someone down..then it's doing what we want.

Same goes for instant on-off radar. By the time the little $200 brain figures out it has a good radar signal....and you are the target...the $2000 radar brain has your speed locked.

And last but not least, an average officer's oppion about jammers
someone actualy went on their forum and started talking about how lidar jammers actualy work yada yada

If the officer is pointing the LIDAR unit directly into the jammer itself, then maybe, it will affect it. There is such a small beam projected, that the laser jammer would have to be directly in the path to affect it, which is hardly the case with a dash-mounted "jamming" unit.

In many states radar detectors are illegal, and as far as I know, all states prohibit the use of "jammers." They are rare and expensive and I don't believe are utilized enough to warrant LE agencies to spend extra money on "jammer" detectors.

If I visually estimate someone speeding, whether he has a detector or "jammer" I will get his/her speed, and I'm sure he/she will still be over the posted limit (even if they are able to slow down). Many times I am stationary in a position where "jammers"/detectors will make no difference at all due to the fact of line of sight (i.e. hiding). Sometimes I even hit vehicles from the rear, so jammers and detectors are ineffective at warning the speeders.


If I find one on your vehicle I will seize it for evidence and you will be charged with the Criminal Code charge of "obstructing a Peace Officer". There are ways of detecting their use and I'm not telling here on a public board. Getting a criminal record trying to avoid a motor vehicle act charge is just a stupid choice.

Obviously, none of these officers have seen the V1's superior detection range and sensitivity

[Event Horizon]

Obviously, none of these officers have seen the V1's superior detection range and sensitivity

Nor have they heard of an LI or AL