INGO LEOs; Spotlighting?

[Cameramonkey]

On our family adventure out I-70 last night, we encountered something odd. We are almost to our exit out in the darkness just short of SR39. With no warning, we are blinded from the shoulder by a VERY bright light for an instant. At first we thought it could have been a headlight on an oncoming car with front end damage because we were also on the outside of a slight curve. Then Mrs Monkey looked in the rear view and saw it was a Sherriff in the turn-around shining his spotlight across the travel lanes at windshield level. Odd.

On the way home we approach the same spot, but this time notice there are now TWO deputies sitting in that turnaround and BOTH are shining their lights across traffic. This time it wasnt as shocking because we saw it coming, but it was still uncomfortable and slightly disorienting.

Why the hell would they be doing that for? Can you really see anything for that split second the car passes the light?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Could be watching for a specific vehicle, I suppose. Were the overheads on?

 

[Cameramonkey]

Could be watching for a specific vehicle, I suppose. Were the overheads on?

No. Were Totally dark except for the spotlight the first pass. Not even headlights were on. No idea they were there until we were hit in the face with the light.

Second pass I think the 2nd car may have had his parking lights on. Or our headlights lit the reflectors, not sure.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

Officers are doing something similar to that near the greenfield exit on 70 as well.

 

[two70]

I've had this happen a few times but always as an officer was leaving a subdivision or business parking lot I was passing. I just assumed they either forgot to turn them off or didn't bother to because they were going to be patrolling another nearby business lot or subdivision.

 

[indyartisan]

I find the light bar emergency lights to be blinding enough at night.
Spotlighting random cars on the highway seems like a bad idea.

 

[tim87tr]

License plate capture for systems that are trying to improve low light capture? Big brother is watching!

L5M Mobile LPR System - Motorola Solutions

Improve awareness on the road, guide officer patrol efforts and collect data at scale with the powerful, reliable L5M mobile LPR system.

www.motorolasolutions.com

 

[Tactically Fat]

I find the light bar emergency lights to be blinding enough at night.
Spotlighting random cars on the highway seems like a bad idea.

In my mind, there's no reason for there not to be a "night mode" on those lights.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

License plate capture for systems that are trying to improve low light capture? Big brother is watching!

L5M Mobile LPR System - Motorola Solutions

Improve awareness on the road, guide officer patrol efforts and collect data at scale with the powerful, reliable L5M mobile LPR system.

www.motorolasolutions.com

Guess it's time to build that license plate frame made out of super bright IR LEDs.

 

[HoughMade]

License plate capture for systems that are trying to improve low light capture? Big brother is watching!

L5M Mobile LPR System - Motorola Solutions

Improve awareness on the road, guide officer patrol efforts and collect data at scale with the powerful, reliable L5M mobile LPR system.

www.motorolasolutions.com

Well sure they are...

...but in Indiana, shining spotlights on cars as they approach has got to be one of the least effective ways to see license plates that I can think of.

 

[cobber]

Don't worry, surely they have qualified immunity if anything goes wrong.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Well sure they are...

...but in Indiana, shining spotlights on cars directly from the side has got to be one of the least effective ways to see license plates that I can think of.

FIFY

 

[HoughMade]

FIFY

Either which way...there's generally only 1 place with a plate on Indiana cars....unless you're in the Region where a fair number of clearly Indiana cars have the 2 plates from the Land of Lincoln.

 

[jsharmon7]

Sounds like an officer doing criminal interdiction.

Also, the LED light bars sometimes do have a night mode. There is a button that says “lower” and it drops the brightness just a bit. It can be a problem for officers, too. Think a night time pursuit and the view for the guy in the second car.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Either which way...there's generally only 1 place with a plate on Indiana cars....unless you're in the Region where a fair number of clearly Indiana cars have the 2 plates from the Land of Lincoln.

And its definitely not on the SIDE of the car.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

No. Were Totally dark except for the spotlight the first pass. Not even headlights were on. No idea they were there until we were hit in the face with the light.

Second pass I think the 2nd car may have had his parking lights on. Or our headlights lit the reflectors, not sure.

No idea, then.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

 

[AtTheMurph]

Perhaps they were watching something across the roadway and not the actual cars. Probably a mountain lion.

 

[Kcustom45]

It helps the officer see inside the car to gauge criminal activity. They are not shinning the spotlight at an oncoming vehicle but rather shinning it at a perpendicular angle to the vehicle. It shouldn't affect driver's too much unless you turn your head to look directly into the lights.

The important question however is, did you find a dark place to look at the stars?

 

[Jeepster48439]

How about calling the Sherriff's office and asking?