Open Letter to the California Inspector General
Subject: Investigation Request – CHP Incognito Vehicle Policy Undermines Public Safety

Office of the Inspector General
P.O. Box 348780
Sacramento, CA 95834

Dear Inspector General,

We, the undersigned residents and concerned members of the public, write to formally request an investigation into the California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) recent deployment of incognito patrol vehicles under the justification that “people drive dangerously, but they don’t do it when they see a black and white.”

This policy raises serious concerns about whether the CHP is prioritizing punitive revenue collection over proactive public safety. By deliberately hiding their presence, CHP officers may be allowing unsafe driving to occur—thereby placing motorists, pedestrians, and communities at unnecessary risk—in order to catch and penalize offenders, rather than deter dangerous behavior before it happens. Furthermore this has the potential to endanger vulnerable citizens (particularly the elderly, women and young adults), while enabling and encouraging the most dangerous people in our society; If this policy continues the vulnerable will be pulling over for vehicles seemingly unrecognizable as police vehicles which means they potentially will be pulling over for vehicles that are not police at all. 

We believe this undermines CHP’s stated mission of protecting life and property, and contradicts well-established public safety principles that emphasize visible law enforcement presence as a deterrent.

We ask your office to investigate the following:

Whether CHP’s incognito vehicle policy conflicts with best practices in traffic safety enforcement.

What internal metrics or incentives may be encouraging punitive enforcement over preventive strategies.

Whether this policy has increased citation revenue without producing corresponding reductions in traffic accidents or injuries.

Whether this policy has increased police impersonation, robberies, kidnappings and sexual assaults. 

What oversight mechanisms exist to ensure CHP enforcement tactics align with public interest.

In a time where trust in law enforcement depends on transparency and alignment with community values, this policy gives the appearance that financial motives may be eclipsing the core mission of public protection.

We respectfully request a formal review of this practice and welcome the opportunity to support efforts that restore confidence in our state’s law enforcement institutions.

Sincerely,
The Concerned Public of California

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