And Yet...Another Question and Answer

Q: I got pulled over and stopped by two Chicago cops who were not in uniform and who had their guns out the whoele time. What's up with that?

A: You don't say where the stop happened or what it was for so I'll just have to hazard a guess. They could have been detectives but that would be an unusual situation. More likely you were stopped by a couple of tactical officers. Chicago deploys tactical(tac) squads in all 25 of its police districts. Depending on their mission, or assignment, the tac cops are allowed to wear plainclothes and drive unmarked cars. In high crime areas, or when checking out known offenders, all officers uniform or plainclothes, regularly make vehicle stops with their weapons drawn. It's completely within CPD policy and a matter of officer safety. In my agency back in the old days, you wouldn't have seen guns out unless we were making a felony stop but ours was a mostly rural sheriff's department. I've been on Chicago ride-alongs and, on even routine car stops in some districts, the officers kept their weapons out, at their sides, fingers off the trigger unless they had reason to do otherwise.

If it wasn't a traffic violation, they probably pulled you over because (a) you were driving through a known drug or prostitution area, (b) your vehicle matched the description of one they had a flash (radio broadcast) alert about or (c) something you did made them suspicious.

While we're on the subject, here's some advice on how to behave in a circumstance such as you describe. Be respectful but make certain plainclothes officers have appropriate identification. Most will wear their star displayed either on a lanyard around their neck or attached to their belt. Keep your hands in plain sight at all times. Leaving them on the steering wheel is a good practice. If you need to reach into your clothes, a purse or anywhere in the car for your ID, ask permission FIRST. If you see they have their guns drawn, do not try to get out of your car or make any sudden moves. Car stops are stressful for the officers. Remember, they don't know you're a law-abiding person who may have just gotten lost in a bad neighborhood. They have to assume the worst. Follow their directions exactly and, as long as you aren't a drug mule carrying several pounds of Mexican tar heroin in your back seat, you'll probably be on your way in no time.