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Funeral escorts

11/2/2008 8:17 PM
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 8

Funeral escorts

The other day I was riding down the road off duty on my bike. A guy was dressed in what appeared to be a police uniform on a bike with flashing red strobes. The Helmet was a half helmet and white, the uniform was black with gold stripes down the legs and patches that I could not read on the shoulders. No badges. Everything else would give you the impression of cops. (In Texas this is bad mojo.) The guys bike was purple, and we dont have motor officers in Waco. He blew a red light honking his horn and holding up his hand to stop other motorists, and almost got hit. After he passed I went on. I was cruising down the road when another dressed the same entered my lane coming toward me ordering me to pull over, when I did not comply right away, his partner comes out in the lane toward me as well. This bike was an old Kawasaki police bike complete with red and blue lights. These guys had all kinds of people pulling to the side, most of them I am sure thought they were cops. I am not sure who they are but they provide this service to one funeral home. I have looked all in my traffic laws and it is so muddy. They are not supposed to be dressed like this and I know they aint supposed to have the flashing red and blue lights as well as stopping, disrupting or impedeing the flow of traffic. TCLEOSE guys you got any thoughts?
REPLY 1  -  10  of  10
11/2/2008 8:40 PM #1
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 379

RE: Funeral escorts

Well, they really are supposed to be dressed like that and are authorized the red and blue lights. In Texas, a lot of police officers work off duty jobs. In Texas, a police officer may buy a police bike and use it for off duty escorts and security work. It is his personal bike so it can be any color he wants.

End result, he is a police officer and has all of his authority for directing traffic, running emergency equipment, and pulling people over and making arrests if need be.
11/2/2008 8:42 PM #2
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 8

Funeral escorts

No Steve, I guess I should have made myself more clear than the law. They are NOT cops. I know one is a nursing assistant at a hospital and the other two are not otherwise employed.
11/3/2008 8:13 PM #3
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 8

Cmon Steve

You usually have all the answers.
11/17/2008 9:35 AM #4
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 8

RE: Funeral escorts

Does anyone have an answer for this?
11/17/2008 5:53 PM #5
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 379

RE: Funeral escorts

They are either reserve officers or they were impersonating the police. That seems to be the only choices I can come up with if you know they are not full time officers. Reserve officers might still have bikes like that (it is of questionable legality, but it was fully legal until last legislative session).
11/18/2008 3:38 AM #6
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 213

RE: Funeral escorts

If you really want answers, it might behoove you to contact the funeral home and ask them who they use.
11/18/2008 7:27 AM #7
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 125

RE: Funeral escorts

behoove? behoove?

11/18/2008 10:10 PM #8
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 213

RE: Funeral escorts

Yes, behoove.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behoove

See? You learn something new every day Hag!
11/19/2008 2:25 PM #9
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 8

They are NOT police

Well I know for a fact that they are not peace officers in any way. They started this service amongst themselves and they only work out of one funeral home. What I was looking for was the fact that from a distance you would indeed believe them to be police officers. They also are employing red strobes on two bikes and red/blue on one. They have also impeded the flow of traffic as a police officer would. So if this is all wrong, is it written in one place or scattered all over the traffic code and clear as mud?
11/19/2008 8:04 PM #10
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 379

RE: Funeral escorts

Both. It is scattered throughout the code and very clearly written in the Transportation Code. No vehicle other an emergency vehicle can have a red flashing light visible to the front (section 547.305). That is the clearly written part.

The scattered part is that no one other than a police officer or crossing guard may direct traffic. This is in the parts that define a police officer, require obedience to police officers and crossing guards, and require obedience to all traffic laws and control devices other than if directed by a police officer.

But it is also in the Penal Code under impersonating a police officer. Doing anything to make a person think you are a peace officer and submit to your pretended authority is the offense. The lighting makes people think they are cops and the traffic control is the submission to authority. This is a third degree felony.
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