'Undercover' shouldn't mean 'exempt'

Gazette Editorial Board

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More than 3,200 “undercover” vehicle license plates used by local, state and federal agencies are circulating in Iowa. At Gov. Terry Branstad's request, the Iowa Department of Transportation has asked agencies to audit their use of such license plates, which are not in state computerized data bases.

That's appropriate because of the now well-known incident in April when a state vehicle carrying the governor and lieutenant governor, and driven by a state trooper, was clocked at 84 mph in a 65 mph zone and another state trooper who pursued the SUV - bearing undercover plates - backed off only after recognizing the passengers.

When the controversy surfaced in early July, it also raised the issue of whether many government employees are avoiding speeding tickets because the vehicles they're driving aren't readily identifiable by law officers or traffic cameras. The driver finally was ticketed in late July.

The practice also needs review because the original intent has been greatly expanded, as The Gazette detailed in a Sunday report. In the 1930s, law officers first were allowed to get undercover license plates while doing surveillance or top-secret investigations. Since then, requests have grown to include a variety of agencies, ranging from lottery delivery drivers to economic development officials to disease investigators.

Do all of them require such secrecy?

We understand the need for undercover plates for undercover work involving major crime and the security of top political leaders. But don't effectively exempt them from speeding laws unless there's an emergency situation.

Surely these “undercover” plates could be coded or designed so they're not identifiable as “official vehicles” by the public, yet are still quickly traceable by law officers charged with enforcing traffic laws for all.

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