FEDS in my backyard!

[halon101]

last night I was measuring out 100m in my churches parking lot so I could teach my scout troop about pace counts. I was walking by a few cars parked in the back when I was approached by a guy who asked " are we in your way" he offered to move to another part of the lot. I struck up a conversation with him and he told me they were LEO. they were all part of a special taskforce. he stated that they were "waiting on a car to move, it hasn't moved yet so they are just waiting" the vehicles did not have exempt plates, and the guys were wearing plain clothes. one guy was in shorts.

my question to you guys is- what the heck were they doing?
any guess, clue, reckless speculation would be awesome.

[daorozco86]

They were probably waiting for a car to move and were just waiting. Lol could be surveillance or protection detail.

[Rickrock1]

Serious what's your point ??

[Jimmybacon43]

If they were telling you why they were there I wouldn't be worried about it.

I'm not LEO but I've seen cops who patrol in plain clothes and unmarked cars before. If these guys had different types of cars they were probably doing surveillance like some of the other posters said.

If you were unsure if they were actually police, you could've asked to see their badges and they may or may not have shown them to you.

[CSACANNONEER]

UC vehicles don't have exempt plates. Most FBI vehicles I've seen just have regular CA plates. A group of dudes hanging out in a parking lot just "waiting" is something I might want to contact the local LEA about unless I was very sure that they were exactly who they said they were.

[leok20]

If they were telling you why they were there I wouldn't be worried about it.

I'm not LEO but I've seen cops who patrol in plain clothes and unmarked cars before.

It couldn't hurt to call a local agency. Sheriff preferred. I would.

But as stated if they are telling you who they are. They are not that scary.


"I said good day!"

[halon101]

Serious what's your point ??

the point to asking the question is part curiosity, part concern. like the title says, feds in my BACKYARD. I like to know whats happening in my neighborhood, good and bad.
I got the feeling they didn't want to talk specifics during our conversation. I told them LEO park here all the time mostly to do paperwork, and went about my work before my scouts showed.

I didn't think to call local PD. might not have been a bad idea. I actually have the personal cell of the officer that patrols that night!

[P5Ret]

Probably a Marshal's Service fugitive task force. May have had a lead on someone they were looking for. Not too unusual to see a couple of unmarked units just hanging out while a couple others have a visual on what ever they are watching. They may or may not tell the local's what they are up to, and if they do I can pretty much assure you that any dispatcher who gives them up over the phone will be spending a few days on the beach. Think about it the person they are looking for has a phone too, can't you just see him calling about the guys just hanging out down the street. Some dispatcher says oh yeah their just marshal's looking for someone in the area.

[CBR_rider]

last night I was measuring out 100m in my churches parking lot so I could teach my scout troop about pace counts. I was walking by a few cars parked in the back when I was approached by a guy who asked " are we in your way" he offered to move to another part of the lot. I struck up a conversation with him and he told me they were LEO. they were all part of a special taskforce. he stated that they were "waiting on a car to move, it hasn't moved yet so they are just waiting" the vehicles did not have exempt plates, and the guys were wearing plain clothes. one guy was in shorts.

my question to you guys is- what the heck were they doing?
any guess, clue, reckless speculation would be awesome.

Sounds like they were watching somebody: Could be financial crimes detectives, gang unit, auto theft detectives, Federal Marshals, Feds watching child porn suspect, paparazzi, Secret Service, private investigators...

It couldn't hurt to call a local agency. Sheriff preferred.

Why would you call the Sheriff if this happened in a city with its own PD?

[leok20]

FEDS in my backyard!

I have had better experiences with Sheriff than PD.


I have called a couple times for issues at work. Drunk dude chasing people on the nature trail behind our work. PD didn't want to come said wasn't there area, when they did finally come they didn't even go to him only came in To us and talked. We had words, not kind ones. And then called SO and they sent two cars went right to the trail. Observed for a minute saw his harassment of kids, families and anyone in the trail. And hooked him up. Then came and told us what was going to happen. The next month they patrolled the area.

Another time we had an identity thief in our store. PD said not our city of coverage, but save information and don't sell them anything an officer will be out to take a report. SO had two cars again there in minutes and hooked them up.


I have also been pulled over by SO and didn't feel like I was already guilty. He listened and even looked with me (Reg sticker stolen) and gave me a smile and wave. Not even a fix it ticket.

Every encounter at work with off duty officers PD are rude and Deputy's are not. PD has a chip on their shoulder in all my encounters.


I will say the business I work for is on the border between two cities and each PD in each of those cities also has told us call the other city we don't cover your location. We have to piss and moan to get them out. And only one of the cities PD ever came out.

Just my experience.


"I said good day!"

Do not post negative leo comments in the leo forum or you won't be posting in the leo forum. Read the rules for this forum.

[003]

It would have been a very simple thing to ask to see his official credentials. All on duty law enforcement personnel would have an ID card and a badge of some sort. I cannot imagine any on duty LE not immediately providing his/her official ID if asked. Keep in mind, cops are the good guys.

[sealocan]

seeing the police wait around/
" gear up " in a church parking lot is not a new thing to me.

before doing a raid in a bad neighborhood they would usually do the final gear check & finalize the game plan, in the church parking lot located in that same a bad neighborhood. (also known as financially challenged neighborhood in liberal speak.)

[Unit74]

I work with a bunch of FBI guys here and there.... They are all driving seized vehicles. Last week, one rolled up in a Challenger R/T fully loaded. He said is was seized from some gangster case he worked on.

[GringoBandito6136]

Sounds like a simple surveillance operation. Nothing to be worried about. Doesn't even mean that he's a "Fed".

Now, if he was sporting a super tactical beard and had a tricked out M4 in his trunk, and looked like a well groomed badass Urban CQB Master, despite the fact that he's never been in a gunfight, or even a fist fight, ever in his life or career... he might just be Chris Costa. Or a Fed.

[bigger hammer]

I will say the business I work for is on the border between two cities and each PD in each of those cities also has told us call the other city we don't cover your location. We have to piss and moan to get them out. And only one of the cities PD ever came out.

Here's what I recommend. Call the agency that you think your store is in, on a non-emergency line. Ask to speak to the Watch Commander. Tell him that you're on the border of two cities and ask him to come out (or to send someone) with an City engineering map. Those maps will have details of the city borders measured to the foot. Confirm that you are in their city. Ask him to mention at briefing of your location and let the officer know that you're in their city. If he'll let you make a copy of the page that shows that you're in the city.

Next time you call and someone says that you are not in their city tell them that you've confirmed with Sgt XXXXXX and the city engineering map that you are indeed in their city. If they persist, ask for the WC. You'll probably only have to do that a couple of times.

I used to carry small copies of these engineering maps all the time.

One of the problems is that having a mailing address in a given city does not mean that you are in that city. The boundaries are not the same.