Man arrested after using James Bond-like device

OFF THE WIRE
Thursday, August 12, 2010

BY KIMBERLY REDMOND
Pascack Valley Community Life
OF COMMUNITY LIFE
A 21-year-old Hillsdale man was arrested last week for allegedly attempting to fool a New Jersey State Trooper by using a "James Bond"-like device that concealed his license plate with the flip of a switch.
Ivan Sirka was arrested on Wednesday, Aug. 4 in connection with an incident that transpired a few days earlier on the Garden State Parkway in Paramus, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Stephen Jones said.
On Sunday, Aug. 1 at 12:15 p.m., State Trooper Stephen Hoeffner was patrolling along the Parkway when his eye was drawn to a man, Sirka, sitting atop a bright red 2002 Honda CR9 motorcycle pulled over on the right shoulder near the Exit 168 southbound entrance ramp on his cellphone, said Jones. Upon passing the motorcyclist, Hoeffner made note of his license plate number before continuing to patrol, Jones said.
Moments later, Sirka allegedly began tailgating the trooper's vehicle, said the sergeant, adding that "it seemed like he was baiting the trooper."
As Sirka changed lanes, he slowly passed the trooper's vehicle, which allowed for Hoeffner to observe "that the license plate was no longer visible, it was flat and facedown towards the ground," said Jones. The motorcyclist then allegedly sped off "well in excess of 100 miles per hour," the sergeant said.
Hoeffner used the plate number he'd copied down minutes earlier to conduct a computer check to determine the motorcyclist's identity, Jones said. Last Wednesday, the trooper paid Sirka a visit at his home in Hillsdale, the sergeant said.
"He found the motorcycle there at the residence and was able to see that the cycle was rigged with an electronic trigger that would enable it to drop facedown upon flipping the switch," said Jones.
The electronic device that Sirka used, known as a license plate flipper, is controlled by a switch on the motorcycle's handlebars, said the sergeant, adding that authorities believe the 21-year-old man bought it online.
Sirka was arrested and transported to the State Police Troop E Road Station in Bloomfield, where he was charged with removal or alteration of an identification number, a criminal offense, along with several traffic violations, the sergeant said. Also, Sirka's bike was impounded and the electronic device was taken as evidence, Jones said.
The license plate flipper is by no means a new way in which people try to elude police.
Several years ago, the "James Bond Gang," a burglary ring based out of the Englewood-Teaneck area, utilized one on their getaway vehicle. In addition to the license plate flipper, the crew's modified BMW contained secret compartments, an oil-jet system to slicken the road behind them to defeat pursuing police vehicles and hidden, bright halogen headlights to blind officers and eyewitnesses.
One local sergeant, John Carty of the Hillsdale Police Department, recalled an incident in River Edge when police caught up with the James Bond Gang and were pursuing the getaway vehicle down Kinderkamack Road when its license plate suddenly folded down and bright lights were flicked on in an attempt to hinder the officers' vision.

E-mail: redmondk@northjersey.com
A 21-year-old Hillsdale man was arrested last week for allegedly attempting to fool a New Jersey State Trooper by using a "James Bond"-like device that concealed his license plate with the flip of a switch.

Ivan Sirka was arrested on Wednesday, Aug. 4 in connection with an incident that transpired a few days earlier on the Garden State Parkway in Paramus, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Stephen Jones said.

On Sunday, Aug. 1 at 12:15 p.m., State Trooper Stephen Hoeffner was patrolling along the Parkway when his eye was drawn to a man, Sirka, sitting atop a bright red 2002 Honda CR9 motorcycle pulled over on the right shoulder near the Exit 168 southbound entrance ramp on his cellphone, said Jones. Upon passing the motorcyclist, Hoeffner made note of his license plate number before continuing to patrol, Jones said.

Moments later, Sirka allegedly began tailgating the trooper's vehicle, said the sergeant, adding that "it seemed like he was baiting the trooper."

As Sirka changed lanes, he slowly passed the trooper's vehicle, which allowed for Hoeffner to observe "that the license plate was no longer visible, it was flat and facedown towards the ground," said Jones. The motorcyclist then allegedly sped off "well in excess of 100 miles per hour," the sergeant said.

Hoeffner used the plate number he'd copied down minutes earlier to conduct a computer check to determine the motorcyclist's identity, Jones said. Last Wednesday, the trooper paid Sirka a visit at his home in Hillsdale, the sergeant said.

"He found the motorcycle there at the residence and was able to see that the cycle was rigged with an electronic trigger that would enable it to drop facedown upon flipping the switch," said Jones.

The electronic device that Sirka used, known as a license plate flipper, is controlled by a switch on the motorcycle's handlebars, said the sergeant, adding that authorities believe the 21-year-old man bought it online.

Sirka was arrested and transported to the State Police Troop E Road Station in Bloomfield, where he was charged with removal or alteration of an identification number, a criminal offense, along with several traffic violations, the sergeant said. Also, Sirka's bike was impounded and the electronic device was taken as evidence, Jones said.

The license plate flipper is by no means a new way in which people try to elude police.

Several years ago, the "James Bond Gang," a burglary ring based out of the Englewood-Teaneck area, utilized one on their getaway vehicle. In addition to the license plate flipper, the crew's modified BMW contained secret compartments, an oil-jet system to slicken the road behind them to defeat pursuing police vehicles and hidden, bright halogen headlights to blind officers and eyewitnesses.

One local sergeant, John Carty of the Hillsdale Police Department, recalled an incident in River Edge when police caught up with the James Bond Gang and were pursuing the getaway vehicle down Kinderkamack Road when its license plate suddenly folded down and bright lights were flicked on in an attempt to hinder the officers' vision.

E-mail: redmondk@northjersey.com