They can tell, and the photo shows NYPD ID on the dash. Looks like a grudge match to me.
Here’s the main problem besides wasting the time of the tow guys and ticket writers, and the dicks. The dicks get paid the same whether they are standing around the courthouse with no ride or out doing their investiagting.
Was the ID put there for the sake of a news photo?
If the dick tracies are really concerned about bringing a witness without said witness being seen in a police car, the ID would be foregone as well.
The permission asking protocol at least assures the car is put on the ticket writers’ short list before the go ahead is given to use the car. The answer to the request would never be “no” but it might be “wait till we update the computer.”