The idea of the officer actually being there IS NOT to catch people, but to LET DRIVERS KNOW THEY ARE BEING WATCHED. Having your lights off means the drivers wont see you; likewise hiding behind a wall, etc... defeats the purpose of being there.
UNLESS... writing tickets ($$$) is more important to you than actually enforcing the speed limit (an easy way to tell if they are 'cherry picking' is if their lights are off).
The problem is that some police like to park on the side of the road with their lights off because then they can catch you better since you cant see them. The problem is that ANY vehicle parked on the side of the road NEEDS to be visible to oncoming drivers... even vehicles parked in those 'U' turn patches, since it is possible that a motorist could need to pull over INTO THAT SPACE! If a squad car's lights are not on, they present a hazard to ALL vehicles on the road, not just the ones making emergency stops. Driving along in the dark, and all-of-a-sudden having a car become visible out of nowhere on the road is the whole reason why it is the law that the operating lights or emergency lights MUST STAY ON. If you see an officer sitting on the side of the road with their lights off, they are undermining their job's purpose, they are putting the drivers on the road in danger, and they are asking for trouble. Just this last week, I was so shocked by an officer (parked right on the shoulder of the interstate with lights off) that I had a 'knee-jerk' reaction that caused me to swerve into the next lane. It was not speeding... my reaction was 100% due to the car on the side of the road popping out at me.
If my reaction had been to instead pull towards the squad car, I would have rammed it. Both of us would have been injured badly if not worse, and I know that the officer would have been found at fault in court (they know this yet some ignore it). Settlements in cases where 'covert' officers have been in the way of drivers making emergency stops have been in the $millions$, so if the officer is looking for a good way to get in trouble and cost the tax-payers some big money...
So how can WE THE PEOPLE enforce this simple law with the police? Im thinking the only way will be to pull over and then wait to be approached, and ask for the officer's badge number and name... and follow up with a report. I know some departments where this would mean a reprimand at least. But this is sort of a waste of time and somewhat risky to do. Maybe Fox6 can do a report on this? Maybe some officers need a little 'TV reminder'? It seems like a huge risk to take (and not just with their own lives and careers) just to write some traffic tickets. Its either that, or we can declare 'open season' on officers pulled over with their lights off and start ramming them all with our cars. I would suggest a large vehicle for this, like a Semi, International pickup, or anything else you know that can rear-end another car going 65mph and not injure yourself... I would say 'dont do it' but the officer knows the risk they take by parking there with their lights off in the first place. Oh, and remember, with their lights off, the officer WILL be found at fault, and you will more than likely have a financial windfall in court.
Whether you are a long island toyota driver or a driver of any car, it is important for you to follow traffic rules. It is a shame that even traffic enforcers to don't follow rules on the road.
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