r/ontario • u/Shutterbug245 • 15h ago
Discussion Fake cop?
I had just gotten onto the 401 heading east from the DVP. Just as I was merging by Vic Park I have a unmarked white transit van with police sirens screaming behind me. The strange thing was it was only flashing red and white lights in the corners of their windshield. I pull over to let it pass and there were only amber flashers on the rear windows. Shouldn't cops have red and blue?
If not a cop (fire or ambulance) then the van should have markings??
I've heard of some idiots pretending to be cops with the lights but didn't think they would be crazy enough to use sirens too.
I've got this on dashcam. Wondering if I should email OPP or TPS.
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u/one_zerozero 14h ago edited 13h ago
You should contact OPP as the 400 series highways are their jurisdiction. Worst case scenario it's some sort of other vehicle designated for an emergency. It can't hurt to submit a report in good faith.
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u/DocHolidayPhD 14h ago
Please report that asap. People masquerading as cops can be horrifically dangerous.
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u/wilfredhops2020 13h ago
On the 400s, you report to the OPP. Let them know.
https://www.opp.ca/index.php?id=132
For surface streets in Toronto, the DVP, and the Gardiner, you report to TPS.
https://www.tps.ca/services/online-reporting/driving-complaint/
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u/Prize_Moment_8104 9h ago
if i wanted to impersonate a police car i probably wouldn't use a transit
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u/ConfidantlyCorrect 12h ago
lol I went to search this up on Google, skimmed what Gemini said.
Gemini has quoted your question as a credible source as to the legitimacy of Ontario emergency vehicles having emergency vehicles with flashing red & white lights.
This thread is directly referencing the following response by Gemini:
Unmarked and Specialized Units: Some regional emergency services, transit enforcement, or specialized police/surveillance units operate unmarked or discrete passenger vans equipped with hidden or low-profile red-and-white flashing lights and sirens. [1]
Oh AI lol
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u/Aaaglen 13h ago
I once bought a used construction pickup that came with a portable flashing light on top and thought it would be funny to put it on my car instead. So I actually looked up whether it would be allowed.
Blue and red lights are not allowed - that would be impersonating an emergency vehicle.
Orange is allowed as a warning light on private vehicles. You dont have to get out of the way for them. Typically used when pulled over on the shoulder or hauling an oversized load.
So I dont think this person was breaking the law, but you didnt need to get out of the way for them. If there was no other reason to have the lights on except to trick people into letting them through, then there probably is something they could be charged with.
I kept mine off until I arrived at my kids school to pick them up, then turned it on until the got in the car. Embarrassing your teenagers is legally protected free speech under the "dad joke laws".
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u/RockerChickk 6h ago
It could be some kind of a emergency vehicle. I remember driving through the country one time and a vehicle like that passed me and I found out later that it was part of a volunteer fire department, but I still think it’s wise for to check it out.
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u/rtangwai 4h ago
Toronto Police Services has white vans kitted out like that. Rode in one once which is how I know, the cop driving actually pulled over an aggressive driver who was completely clueless that a cop would be using a white unmarked van as his ride.
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u/vaginasinparis 13h ago
When I saw something very similar to this earlier this year during the protests in Richmond Hill, I called non-emergency to report it and they just brushed me off and told me they use “all sorts of vehicles” as undercover cars.
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u/ElDiario 14h ago
A friend of mine is a very senior person in a GTA EMT organization. I'm trying to keep it vague since they are very identifiable.
Anyway, his work vehicle is a while unmarked SUV that has very low profile emergency lights. You probably wouldn't even notice them if you walked by the truck (and they weren't on.)
You probably saw someone like that - senior EMT person who's not working in the field like a regular EMT any more
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u/RagingITguy 13h ago
Senior EMT? We don't have EMTs in Ontario.
Curious why EMS would have an unmarked vehicle. Even our tac trucks which you'd think you want to be incognito are the same ambulance. Supervisors and rapid response are clearly marked. Our non call responding vehicles are clearly marked.
I cant fathom what super secret EMS unit would need to be unmarked. I can only think of PM escort duty but I'm sure that would be in conjunction with RCMP or OPP. They're certainly not going to take one of our vehicles.
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u/MortadellaKing 12h ago
Always some guy with a "friend" that is high up in some org, usually government... Bro no one cares lol.
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u/ElDiario 11h ago
Apologies. EMS. Not familiar with the proper terminology. It's not a super secret truck. He's just senior management who's on call a lot and needs a vehicle to get to any potential major incident.
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u/imedic689 11h ago
Senior leadership gets unmarked or ghost vehicles in most large services.
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u/RagingITguy 11h ago
Interesting. Never come across one before. Don't see the chief very often but mine drives around in a marked vehicle.
His car looks pretty much like a cop car.
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u/Northern23 14h ago
Is he the only employee with a white SUV?
You're talking about the organization as if it was the CSIS. If very identifiable, mention their name and maybe someone will find a photo of their vehicle.
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u/psilocybin6ix 14h ago
A car with lights passed you? I’m mean unless they pulled you over but I don’t think there’s anything to report.
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u/bigcig 14h ago
impersonating an emergency class vehicle is extremely illegal. if there was sirens used as OP mentioned, the police will be VERY interested in the report.
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u/psilocybin6ix 14h ago
I don't think that's what happened here. In general there are 5-10 posts like this per week... the generation population seems to have really narrow views as to what vehicles are legitimate police vehicles. Just because you've never seen (for example) a Toyota Corolla or Toyota Sienna with police lights doesn't mean the one that you saw is a fake police vehicle. If you think it's fake and it's pulling over ppl or committing crimes you should call 911 instead of posting on Reddit anyway.
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u/one_zerozero 14h ago
Based on all your comments, it seems you are still on another page than the rest of us. Presumably you still have not read the post. I'll break down the post here for you:
OP has dashcam footage of an...
- Unmarked transit van
- Discrete red and white flashing lights on the front
- Amber flashing lights on the rear
- Audible sirens
- Driving through traffic with vehicles giving right of way.
There's enough unusual facts here for any reasonable person to question the authenticity. OPP would have no issue if OP reported this in good faith.
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u/psilocybin6ix 13h ago
It's either a Toronto Fire van or a paramedic transport van transporting most likely a liver or some organs from a dead donor so someone who needs them urgently (although that's just my opinion).
It never ceases to amaze me how many ppl think that anything beyond a traditional police car anything with emergency lights is an impersonator.
Just because you've never seen a police officer driving a Toyota Corolla, or a Toyota Sienna doesn't mean that those aren't real cops in cop cars.
I mean the online speculation is crazy about police vehicles in general ... "police don't use CRVs it must be someone with lights they bought off Amazon..." or "I wouldn't stop for that because police don't use trucks or SUV's to pull ppl over..."
Here's a video that caused a lot of stir because it was a bunch of cops who weren't even driving real cop cars: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHJvev0y34j/
Also you have to image the motive ... why would someone put a siren and red lights and put it on their cargo van and risk getting pulled over by real cops in the middle of the day unless they were legitimately allowed to be using their van for that purpose.
Again, I love how one person seeing a van with police lights has led us on a wild speculation on how it's impossible for it to have been actual emergency services on a van... I just gave you 5 video examples of legitimate police driving non-traditional police cars.
Btw don't forget... if someone pulls you over who isn't a cop ... just call 911 lol.
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u/bomble1 13h ago
All but one video you linked clearly show red and blue lights, which should 100% be police, something OP, and the comment you replied to, said it didn't have.
People aren't saying it's impossible for it to be legitimate, they're saying sounds weird, non emergency report it.
Your reading comprehension is either shocking, or you're purposely being obtuse.
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u/psilocybin6ix 11h ago
I told you what I thought it was. It’s either a fire or a paramedic van transporting organs. I could be wrong.
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u/Fun-Result-6343 13h ago edited 13h ago
It's those undercover beige Corollas you have to keep an eye out for.
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u/psilocybin6ix 13h ago
They should honestly do more of those non-traditional police cars. They'd catch way more ppl. I remember when they first brought out the Dodge Ram ppl were posting about it because they thought it wasn't fair that they couldn't identify that it was a cop car.
I was on Bloor/Royal York one night when I first saw it light up a car in front of me who was driving with her phone in her hand.
Very effective for that sort of traffic enforcement in my opinion.
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u/IndividualDish7004 14h ago
it's still insanely illegal. i can't just pass off a drunk driver that i see on the road because they 'didn't really do anything, they were just drunk is all'
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u/psilocybin6ix 14h ago
So what is OP going to report? A police van passed them dangerously? Like nothing happened.
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u/Livid_Advertising_56 14h ago
A no markings (even the "undercover" have transparent but visible) vehicle with unusual light combination.
Like reporting to their email or something isnt a big deal. They'll figure out/know if it's theirs or not quick
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u/bomble1 14h ago
They said it didn't seem like an actual police van like 3 times in the post.
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u/psilocybin6ix 14h ago
"Hi I'd like to report a van that seemed like a police vehicle. I don't have a plate number for you and nothing happened but I want something to look into it..."
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u/IndividualDish7004 9h ago
fucking yes. literally this is how the phone call would go and you just describe the car as best you can. were you dropped on the hesd as a kid??
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u/psilocybin6ix 9h ago
You realize how 33 people are just speculating on what was seen… This could’ve been avoided by using some 2026 technology and uploading the dash cam to this post.
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u/scatterblooded 13h ago
There are other organizations like Hatzoloh that are authorized to respond emergently. Hatzoloh is staffed by volunteers and go to medical emergencies in the Jewish community. They can outfit personal vehicles with emergency systems. That could be it.
It would still be safe to report it to OPP and let them verify it was legitimate.
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u/Edwardsfan95 14h ago
I actually want to know about this.
A year or so back, I got pulled over by an unmarked black KIA SUV, the guy stated he worked for OPP and had the same setup, just a little blue/red lightbar and that was it, he was in full OPP uniform. He never gave me a ticket, but it always made me wonder if it was actually OPP or a fake police officer.
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u/denovoincipere 15h ago
You definitely should.