there is a good chance that they are police too. if anyone, especially a white dude, ever randomly gets your attention and conspiratorially tries to convince you to jump a police officer, then dude is a cop. They have been using this technique and script for at least 30 years.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_provocateur

Check their fucking shoes. They’re always too afraid that their little toesies will be hurt so they’ll usually still be rocking the exact same boots as the guys on the other side. This was what gave the cops away when they provoked riots in Toronto a while back.

@talesofalamia, remember when I pointed out the shoes of the two well-dressed informants near us?

Similar note: IME, unmarked cruisers have five distinguishing traits:

1. They’re one of the department-issue models.
2. They’re always white, black, or dark blue.
3. They always look like they just rolled out of a car wash.
4. Usually rocking restricted plates.
5. Most reliable if present but hardest to spot: Their mirrors are bulkier, to fit the light rigs in.

In Austin the under cover officer that tried to convince me to set a cop car on fire had a convincing fake beard.

Be careful out there and read up on common tactics used against protestors before going.

You can usually see the stealth lights if you look into the grill.

Besides the old obvious as fuck Crown Victoria, be suspicious of 2013+ Ford Taurus and Explorer, 2006+ Dodge Charger and Dakota, 06-13 Chevy Impala, 11+ Chevy Caprice and both the Tahoe and Suburban.

Look for oversize mirrors, plugs on the roof and/or A pillar, lights inside the grill, extraneous lights inside the headlight assembly, lights tucked up behind the rear view mirror, steel wheels with or without wheel covers, and plugs or short antennas on the trunk lid.

My dad’s an undercover pig, so more info yall might not know:

• some lights are small look alike extra mirrors on the side mirrors, and theyre hella easy to spot if youre looking; Ive caught my dad driving behind me a dozen times bc of it
• lights can fit clipped to the sun visors
• tinted windows, but not blacked out
• the models of cars above are obv sus, but be careful anyway bc cops will raid drug dealers and are allowed to keep “forfeiture” which includes a dealer’s car up, but only for 3 years and then they legally have to sell it; brand new cars or only 1–2 years old that look constantly washed (departments often get free car washes at the dealerships they buy fleet from) are sus af
• beware anyone wearing “cop brands,” which are companies that cater to cops/military like 5-11, Vertex, the like; check watches too bc most ppl cant afford/dont want a goddamn G-Shock
• idk if I’m explaining it adequately, but the Cop Stance; the squared shoulders and slightly wide, feet apart stance, it gives em away as off duty a lot imo and it can become unconscious
• even if theyre trying to incite a fight, better believe theyre conceal carrying; fat guys will have it in a pocket (thats why u be wary of brands bc theyre good at their job), skinny guys might have it down their front, and women are usually at hip
• know what facial hair is allowed at the local department; if they grow it to look less like a cop, some departments still dont allow full beards, some dont allow even goatees, etc (higher up the chain, less likely it matters, but a lieutenant or captain is unlikely to have the job of inciting the riot)
• steer clear of a porn stache
• I have 0 idea why, but almost every cop Ive ever met will say “shut it down” in a dozen different circumstances
• they often have call signs even tho radios are good quality these days, and they always sound like a military TV show’s approx of a call sign: Flip, Clue, etc
• computers are still often in undercover cars, and theyre bulky mfs
• the back of an undercover car is likely way weighed down; gun safes, some have half a cage, reinforced seats, gear, equipment, body armor, etc, and I can always tell how it sits
• calling a buddy by their last name? cop
• beaded chain necklace under their shirt? bulky ass trifold wallet? badge

Be careful out there yall.