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The license plate and VIN number of the stopped vehicle, along with driver's license number and full name have been edited out.

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Saturday 05-24-03    21:45 hours  Just outside New Rome....

A New Rome cruiser sits patiently under their then-flashing yellow light.  He runs plate after plate looking for anomalies. 

Click to listen.  Clip runs :07

Officer: "Is that on Adam Union Ninety One [rest of plate edited out]? "

Dispatcher: "Yes sir, standby, I'll run it one more time."

Finally, a hit.   The officer sees something about this plate that draws him in for a closer look.

Click to listen.  Clip runs :25

Dispatcher: "Sir Adam Union Nine One [rest of plate edited out]  comes back to a 1996 Buick two door, with status valid, on a female 5-7, 160, brown and brown, sir.

Officer: "Okay, I have that on a....Chevy.   Gonna be white in color, occupied times one.  Go ahead and mark us out westbound Broad at VOA."

Dispatcher: "Copy that sir, nine fifty-six"

The Dispatcher relays what vehicle this plate should be on, and the description of the registered owner to the officer.  The officer states the plate is on the wrong make of car and informs Dispatch that he has stopped the vehicle near the Volunteers of America building and there is one occupant.  The Dispatcher oddly states "9:56" as the time instead of the usual "21:56" military time as most agencies use.

Click to listen.  Clip runs :14

Officer: "Sir, I need a ah, VIN, are you prepared to copy?"

Dispatcher: "Go ahead sir."

Officer: "(inaudible) going to be One George One..." [Rest of VIN edited out]

Dispatcher: "Copy that sir, standby."

Since the plate is on the wrong vehicle, the officer checks the vehicle by VIN number.

Click to listen.  Clip runs 1:13

Officer: "Comm Center, [what the officer affectionately refers to the village trailer as] I'm also going to need an Eleven if you're prepared to copy."

Dispatcher: "Um, go ahead sir.  And um, I'm going to verify the VIN after you're done with your Eleven."

Officer: "Okay, Eleven on Robert, Robert." [Rest of license edited out.]

Dispatcher: "Copy that sir, standby for your Eleven."

Dispatcher: "Eight-Five, I have your Eleven when you're ready."

Officer: "Go ahead."

Dispatcher: "Alright sir your Eleven comes back to a male 5-6, 165, brown, green, status is valid sir on a Gary..." [Rest of name edited out.]

The officer runs a driver's license check ("Eleven" in radio code) on the stopped motorist.  The Dispatcher begins to read back the information.

Click to listen.  Clip runs :37

"Um, age 53 sir, break."

"Go ahead."

"Sir, in the past 12 he had a non-comp suspension added on 5/17/02 um, with an FRA and a fee, but status on that sir is compliant, and sir that's it in the past 12."

"Okay, go ahead and mark and hold please."

Dispatcher: "Copy that sir.  Oh, sir, I do want to re-verify the VIN."

Officer: "Standby."

The Dispatcher reads off the traffic offenses in the past twelve months.  The lingo gets a little muddy here, but FRA relates to "Financial Responsibility Act", or car insurance.  The motorist is definitely not wanted and has a valid license.  The officer requests to "mark and hold" the LEADS printout so he can add it to his case later.

Click to listen.  Clip runs :14

Officer: "Okay, what do you have?"

Dispatcher: "Alright sir, I have One-George-One... [Rest of VIN edited out]

Officer: "That's negative.  Should be One-George-One...[Rest of VIN edited out].  Do you need me to repeat?"

Dispatcher: "Negative sir, standby."

Perhaps why New Rome traffic stops take so long, they go back and forth on the VIN number a couple of times.

Click to listen.  Clip runs :37

Dispatcher: "Eighty Five."

Officer: "Go ahead."

Dispatcher: "Sir, I'm going to run your VIN one more time just for reverification for some reason it's coming up not in file."

Officer: "Okay, be advised if it's a uh, model vehicle that's ten years or older it may not be on file anymore.  For some reason or another, LEADS has a tendency to uh, sort of automatically delete those VINs.  Uh, just go ahead and just mark and hold what you have and uh, I'll get back with you here in a second."

Dispatcher: "Copy that sir, 10:06 thank you."

A little LEADS lesson from the field (sounds a bit far fetched, but who knows).  The Dispatcher sounds a little green.

Click to listen.  Clip runs :16

Officer: "Okay Comm Center, uh one more time...the actual Seven comes back to what, a Buick?"

Dispatcher: "Affirm sir, a 1996 Buick two-door."

Officer: "Okay."

The officer clarifies that the "Seven" or license plate comes back to a Buick, not the Chevy its affixed to.

Click to listen.  Clip runs :04

Officer: "Go ahead and mark me clear, "V" times two."

The stop ends with two "V's" (believed to stand for Violation) issued to the motorist.  The car is not towed and he is allowed to continue on his way.

And so, another dangerous soul has been taught a lesson by New Rome.  Before you write complaining "well this was a good stop, he was breaking the law, blah, blah."  We know that.  This simply illustrates New Rome's Revenue Generation machine...the easy stops inflicted on the easy targets for the easy cash.  Stay out of New Rome, even if you think you're legal and especially if you're not.