Q Cars

Random

The Met have unmarked cars. Do they call them "cue cars"? "q cars"? I ask because I watch Brit Cops: Frontline Crime UK on Virgin sometimes and they keep going on about them.

Thanks

ScubaDave

A question for metman, me thinks!?

metman

Q Cars are unmarked response motors tasked to tackle streetcrime. I'm working on an op at the moment and we're using q cars to tackle street robbers, burglars and dealers. I've always enjoyed working on Q cars, they're good fun.

Random

What does the Q stand for?

They're basically just regular unmarked cars and they're called Q Cars because they're assigned to a particular task?

bearded1

Thought the name might have a relation to Q-ships, actually there is a link to a related term on that page... Q-car

JonAnderton

Thats exactly where the name comes from Q-Ships were naval vessels disguised as normal ships which could 'transform' quickly into battle ships.. Q-Cars are 'normal' unmarked cars that can suddenly and wonderfully transform into lights and siren police cars. As Metman shows, other police forces have them, not sure if it's just the Met that call them Q cars though?

I spent a few years working them and will be again shortly. it's interesting because not only do the cars go from being plain ordinary cars into super cop cars, the officers in them, especially if young in service or only on an attachment, also go from being ordinary decent coppers, into suddenly turning into big job, "I'm plain clothes and too important for normal policework", blah merchants...:D

metman

JonAnderton wrote: »

"I'm plain clothes and too important for normal policework"

I think I know that unit.....:D

Eru

JonAnderton wrote: »

"I'm plain clothes and too important for normal policework", blah merchants...:D

Hey, I didnt know you worked with certain Gardai???

metman

JonAnderton wrote: »

As Metman shows, other police forces have them, not sure if it's just the Met that call them Q cars though?

Negative ghostrider. Its a term also in use outside of the Metro-polis. So you trading in your big red bmw for a scruffy mondeo sheeeeeeiiiiiit!

cherrypicker555

Random wrote: »

The Met have unmarked cars. Do they call them "cue cars"? "q cars"? I ask because I watch Brit Cops: Frontline Crime UK on Virgin sometimes and they keep going on about them.

Thanks

Q stands for quiet, as in unmarked/no siren.

Heres a proper Q car scroll down.

http://www.eliteukforces.info/the-det/

JonAnderton

So you trading in your big red bmw for a scruffy mondeo sheeeeeeiiiiiit!

Funny story how it came about, Got called into the Inspectors office. Asked me where I didn't want to go... I start the MSU next week..

(Seriously though, just waiting for a leaving date..)

Here's to Metvests worn overtly on top of plainclothes in order to ensure GTP brews and kebabs..:D

Esel

cherrypicker555 wrote: »

Heres a proper Q car scroll down.

http://www.eliteukforces.info/the-det/

That would have been my understanding of the term. Any link with 'Q' of James Bond fame?

Bang Bang

Speaking of unmarked cars.
I was in Rome recently and I stopped to admire a fine black Masseratti sports/luxurious car, full red leather trim, stunning to say the least.
Next thing the lad in the drivers seat picks up a radio, then out comes the blue magnetic light onto the roof and away they go:eek:
What a car:cool:

Now chatting to a lad back home and relating the above story to him (this lad is Italian car mad). He told me that when sports and luxury cars are seized from proceeds of crime in Italy, the cars are not sold off but instead given to the police force for use in fighting crime. Some are used to transport politicians etc around.
I don't know if this is true but it wasn't the first high performance car I seen on blues & twos. I seen a couple of mercs and a top spec BMW too.

JonAnderton

esel wrote: »

That would have been my understanding of the term. Any link with 'Q' of James Bond fame?

I think that 'Q' stands for Quartermaster...

And Q Cars have been in the Met since before 1934... apparently...

Driving School

metman

JonAnderton wrote: »

Funny story how it came about, Got called into the Inspectors office. Asked me where I didn't want to go... I start the MSU next week..

(Seriously though, just waiting for a leaving date..)

Here's to Metvests worn overtly on top of plainclothes in order to ensure GTP brews and kebabs..:D

Task Force has its merits....though its just uniform albeit with another uniform; overt Metvest under standard issue combat jacket, worn open, jeans and trainers Still, no domestics, mispers or nutjobs (aside from your colleagues) and you can pretend you're Sweeney

JonAnderton

metman wrote: »

Task Force has its merits....though its just uniform albeit with another uniform; overt Metvest under standard issue combat jacket, worn open, jeans and trainers Still, no domestics, mispers or nutjobs (aside from your colleagues) and you can pretend you're Sweeney

Some treat it like a plain clothes relief but thats not what it should be about. We ran our team as a crime squad doing our intel and jobs.we were lucky in that OTwasnt a problem as we were one of the original TP ran borough task forces and as long as decent bodies were coming in an priority crime was down..funding werent too much of an issue giving us money to branch out and do other stuff besides just driving round in the cars..good times.

metman

And that'll stand to you. Having had a similar experience I'm in a position where I can set up an op and have Q cars, personnel and overtime at my disposal in order to get results.

eroo

metman wrote: »

And that'll stand to you. Having had a similar experience I'm in a position where I can set up an op and have Q cars, personnel and overtime at my disposal in order to get results.

Gene, DCI.Hunt.. ahem.. 'met man', a man of power!;)

metman

This is probably more accurate...:D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcODygj6SkY

eroo

How true Nicholarse!