How early are traffic cops on the job?

[MikeL]

Got a surprise this morning to see a mufti cop car with lights flashing, had pulled a car over on Manukau Rd south of Greenwoods corner at 6:35. I ride to work this way every morning and had never seen a cop car at that hour. Sort of assumed it was too early for them. Obviously wrong. Might take me a little longer to get to work now...

[Maha]

Could have been on his way home, 7am finish??

[DrewBroadley]

Cops do shift work, not 9-5. The law doesn't stop for dinner!

[James Deuce]

Only doughnuts.

[Swoop]

They only work from 9am - 5pm.
This idea that they are on duty 24hrs a day is an urban myth. Dialing 111 will only get you a recorded message outside of working hours.

[Ixion]

Quite so. people get confused because (like the OP) they sometimes see a cop car outside those hours.

This is because the police , in their never ceasing search to maximise revenue, have identified another opportunity.

Outside their working hours they rent the cops cars out for use as taxis.

Some of the cops also make a bit of extra money renting out their uniforms too. This gives the taxidriver an opportunity to implement a second revenue stream for himself. (You never checked the PO Box number on that "ticket" before you sent off the cheque, did you - helps of course to have a friend in the printing industry )

But, be assured, if someone purporting to be a cop tries to stop you outside 9-5, it's actually a moonlighting taxi driver.

Tell him that you're wise to him and send him on his way.

[Gremlin]

Ixion! You forgot about all those cars that attend stuff at night!

Sure mate... just keep riding like ya do... they work from 9am - 5pm

In reality, the morning shift is somewhere around 6-7am onwards. The only chance you have is around shift change.

go on... roll the dice

[=cJ=]

I've seen a police car on the way from Ohakune to Palmerston North at about 4am. Only car on the road other than me...

[I'm motarded]

I thought they only went out when called?

[1wheel riot]

they are tere when you dont wont them and they never there when you need them.barsterds

[YellowDog]

I used to blast to work at around 6:30am until I realised that there were cop cars around. I now take it a bit easier. I think the shift change is 5:45-6:15, but I could be wrong.

I have a friend who does a daily dash from Whangaparaoa to the Auckland CBD at 5:30 every day. He has never had a problem.

Maybe someone can actually tell us what the actual situation is?

[Max Preload]

I thought they only went out when called?

If that were the case, they'd never go out because people have all but ceased bothering to call them, such is their inaction anyway.

[Swoop]

Ixion! You forgot about all those cars that attend stuff at night!

Fully explained by Ix. Taxi drivers moonlighting is what is happening.

[TOTO]

night shift is 2200 - 0600 usually.

[Jdogg]

night shift is 2200 - 0600 usually.

Thats what I find, shift change at 6am, and I have found if you are not being too silly they will let it pass, I had a copper flash his roof lights at me last week as a visual reminder to keep it down (i was doing 115ish at 545am) but I can say without a doubt there are no 50 through vinager hill at 5am (on a regular basis)