RCMP ‘subdued graphics’ vehicles stealthily patrolling Nova Scotia’s highways

More than two years on, police officers driving the RCMP’s new generation of covert vehicles are stealthily patrolling Nova Scotia’s highways.

The exterior of the cars, staffed by officers in various regions of the province, have “subdued” graphics that might be missed at first glance by motorists — including alleged violators not following the rules of the road.

And that’s the point, police said, in the name of roadway safety. The cars’ use has been effective in catching impaired and distracted drivers, and other vehicle operators spotted breaking the law.

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Mike Carter said Wednesday the subdued graphics cars are in the police force’s Traffic Services units, which have “a balanced fleet of fully-marked vehicles, subdued vehicles and unmarked vehicles.”

He said the use of covert traffic enforcement “allows police officers to proactively watch for dangerous driving behaviours including speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving and lack of seatbelt use, all of which have been linked to fatalities in the province.”

Vehicles with subdued graphics (and unmarked police cars) let RCMP members get closer to drivers suspected of vehicle-use violations, Carter said, in order to collect good video evidence for use in court.

“Our traffic fleet has in-car video systems that record in high definition which allows officers to capture clear video,” he told HalifaxToday.ca via email.

There are more than 10 vehicles with subdued graphics in Nova Scotia, the Mounties said in a release in June. The first two were used by members of the RCMP’s Traffic Services division around the spring of 2019.

The enforcement vehicles’ decals leave the cars unobtrusively marked but are reflective at night to help guard the safety of road users and RCMP officers. They’re police cars that “more easily blend in with other traffic,” an RCMP website says.

Carter said all subdued graphics cars in this province are white, though they also come in grey and black. He said the RCMP here use Chevrolet Tahoes, Ford Explorers and Ford Tauruses.

“Currently there are no plans to increase the number,” Carter said.

Police departments in other jurisdictions have added subdued vehicles to their fleets. For example, a news story out of Virginia posted last spring said Lynchburg-area cops are using such cars, described as “somewhere between a marked and an unmarked vehicle.”

With respect to the vehicles’ low-key markings, Carter was asked if the RCMP was concerned about, or aware of, Nova Scotia motorists who may be unsure about whether the cars are legitimate police vehicles — considering the April 2020 mass murder in rural parts of the province.

The killings and other crimes were perpetrated by a 51-year-old man dressed in a fake Mountie uniform and using a car that resembled an RCMP cruiser.

Carter said there have been “several inquiries about subdued vehicles.” He acknowledged people “have questions about them,” but “upon discussing the purpose and capabilities of these vehicles, they generally understand their value” in helping to make public roads safer.

“We encourage the public to call 911 if they do not believe they are being stopped by a real police officer,” said Carter, of H Division, RCMP South West Nova Traffic Services. More information can be found here.

The Mass Casualty Commission, which is the public inquiry looking into last year’s shooting rampage that claimed 22 lives, is to hold its initial proceedings next month.

Michael Lightstone is a freelance reporter living in Dartmouth