Weird Minnesota Laws. :)

[Hank1]

Many states regulate just how a LE vehicle must be marked. Such as the words POLICE on the sides and rear of the car. I used to know all of the requirements as I was once responsible for the proper marking on the cruisers used by the department I worked for in Ohio.

Gotcha! Thanks.

Be safe,

Hank

[Hank1]

They mark the passenger door so that when driving or parked on the right side of the road, passing motorists can't see the markings and make the squad.

Makes sense to me! Thanks.

Be safe,

Hank

[CorpSec]

They mark the passenger door so that when driving or parked on the right side of the road, passing motorists can't see the markings and make the squad.

Exactly right. The cops around here can be real sneaky. A lot of the unmarked police cars look just like, well, unmarked police cars. There is a trooper that has a firefighter helmet on his rear deck to make speeders believe that it is a fire vehicle.

I have also seen things ranging from bumper stickers, stuffed animals and those baby sun shades on unmarked squads. Anything to make people believe that it isn't a squad. In areas where there isn't a median, some will park cock-eyed on the shoulder with their four way flashers on to give the appearance of a broken down vehicle.

The troopers around here are really no nonsense and elitist. By and large, if they pull you over, you are getting a ticket.

[Badge714]

Forgive my ignorance but I have to ask.....Why do LE display the badge/star on the passenger door?

Be safe,

Hank

They mark the passenger door so that when driving or parked on the right side of the road, passing motorists can't see the markings and make the squad.

[Curtis Baillie]

Forgive my ignorance but I have to ask.....Why do LE display the badge/star on the passenger door?

Be safe,

Hank

Many states regulate just how a LE vehicle must be marked. Such as the words POLICE on the sides and rear of the car. I used to know all of the requirements as I was once responsible for the proper marking on the cruisers used by the department I worked for in Ohio.

[Hank1]

Question?

Forgive my ignorance but I have to ask.....Why do LE display the badge/star on the passenger door?

Be safe,

Hank

[CorpSec]

Well, Minnesota police departments can utilize unmarked vehicles as cars for administration, investigations, and such. They may also designate roughly 10 percent of their patrol fleet as "unmarked" vehicles. These vehicles need only to display the agency on the passenger side. You will see the various traffic enforcement units for the different MN agencies will utilize a small shield or star on the passenger door to meet this requirement.

All the security companies that I know of in Minnesota use marked vehicles. If for no other reason, it can be good advertising. This ranges from the companies that outfit their cars with full graphics packages to the mom and pop outfits that will use a small decal or glorifed stencil to ID their vehicles.

I am pretty sure that administative vehicles for security companies do not need to be marked, but vehicles that are used for security patrol must be.

[N. A. Corbier]

Well, I'm bored and going through Minnesota security law.

Here's one we've visited before, but notice this interesting verbiage...

169.98 POLICE, PATROL, OR Previous MatchSECURITYNext Match GUARD VEHICLE.
Subdivision 1. Colors and markings. (a) Except as provided in subdivisions 2 and 2a, all
motor vehicles which are primarily used in the enforcement of highway traffic rules by the State
Patrol or for general uniform patrol assignment by any municipal police department or other law
enforcement agency, except conservation Previous MatchofficerNext Matchs, shall have uniform colors and markings as
provided in this subdivision. Motor vehicles of:
(1) municipal police departments, including the University of Minnesota Police Department
and park police units, shall be predominantly blue, brown, green, black, or white;
(2) the State Patrol shall be predominantly maroon; and
(3) the county sheriff's office shall be predominantly brown or white.
(b) The identity of the governmental unit operating the vehicle shall be displayed on both
front door panels and on the rear of the vehicle. The identity may be in the form of a shield or
emblem, or may be the word "police," "sheriff," or the words "State Patrol" or "conservation
officer," as appropriate, with letters not less than 2-1/2 inches high, one-inch wide and of a
three-eighths inch brush stroke. The identity shall be of a color contrasting with the background
color so that the motor vehicle is easily identifiable as belonging to a specific type of law
enforcement agency. Each vehicle shall be marked with its own identifying number on the rear
of the vehicle. The number shall be printed in the same size and color required pursuant to this
subdivision for identifying words which may be displayed on the vehicle.

Subd. 3. Security guard vehicle. (a) All motor vehicles which are used by security guards in
the course of their employment may have any color other than those specified in subdivision 1 for
law enforcement vehicles. The identity of the security service shall be displayed on the motor
vehicle as required for law enforcement vehicles.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (1), a security guard may continue
to use a motor vehicle that is predominantly black in the course of the guard's employment if the
vehicle was being used in this manner before August 1, 2002.

So, looking at Subd. 3 (a), any vehicle used by a security guard in the course of their employment must be marked up in the same manner as required for police vehicles.

From what I'm seeing here, this means that ANY vehicle used by security guards (regardless of who owns the thing) has to be marked up like a cop car in Section 1, only with "Security" or whatever.

So, where in Minnesota Statute does it authorize a security guard to operate an unmarked vehicle in course of their employment?

---

Chapter 38.01 specifically states that:
(c) The society may contract with the sheriff, local municipality, or security guard service as defined
in section 626.88 to provide the society with police service.

So, statute itself understands that security guard services may be used to provide police services throughout the state.