Police Car U Turns On Rise

I've noticed many more incidences of police cars making high speed U-turns on the streets of my city - Springfield, Illinois (and surrounding communities).

Sure for years I've seen police cars making U-Turns right before, or after, they put on their emergency lights, and race away to some emergency, but I'm not talking about those kinds of U-turns.

I'm talking about a cop car coming right up behind your car (or my car) while they are probably running your (or my) plates, and determining how fast you (or me) are driving.

They find that your (or my) plates are clean (no wants or warrants), and that you are not speeding (too much), and decide that no stop or ticket is worth their trouble.

They then make a rapid U-turn, and head in the opposite direction down the opposite lane.

I've had cops do that to me at least three times in the last year, and I've seen cop cars do that with other cars at least as many times as they've done it to me.

This maneuver for city streets involves risk to the police officer, as well as to drivers in other nearby cars. It's risky enough to be illegal for regular drivers.

In fact, without an actual emergency to justify such driving, I'd bet the police officer is breaking the law.

But after years of watching police cars, without their emergency lights on, running red lights, speed like crazy, not signaling their lane changes or turns, etc., I guess I can accept the rather Hollywood type U-turn maneuver on what was once our calm city streets.