Can an unmarked Police vehicle legally conduct a traffic stop….the simple answer is yes. Nearly all, if not all, law enforcement agencies own and operate unmarked vehicles. The Kewanee Police Department has four unmarked vehicles in their fleet. All four vehicles are owned and maintained by the City of Kewanee Police Department. The vehicles do not have identifying markings on them but they have interior and some exterior lighting. We reached out to the Kewanee Police Department regarding your rights if you are unsure of an unmarked vehicle conducting a traffic stop on your vehicle. If you are unsure of the vehicle attempting to pull you over, the Kewanee Police Department recommends driving to a public place with people around and call your local police department. Unmarked police vehicles must have reasonable suspicion that an offense has been committed to stop a vehicle or person in Illinois, just like clearly marked police vehicles.
Kewanee uses one of the vehicles as the primary unmarked vehicle used for making traffic stops, one unmarked vehicle is an administrative vehicle and the remaining two are general Detective vehicles. Unmarked police vehicles are used for numerous purposes, including traffic enforcement, a deterrent to encourage drivers to be cautious and law-abiding and covert operations such as narcotics investigations. Most importantly, Remember to always remain calm.
