[Pollard]

Police in FL often park their cars somewhere, usually to deter speeders, also in school zones, in front of banks etc. All crime deterrents. The cops who bring their cars home with them will also park them out at the end of the side street or in some strategic way. On I-4, they’ll park them on the shoulder with a dummy in the driver’s seat so that it looks occupied. I lived there for 25 years.

[MinuteGal]

In this present time, the practice of leaving police vehicles unattended for any length of time, particularly in suspect, dangerous neighborhoods, is foolish to the max.

We are no longer living in "Leave it to Beaver" times when most neighborhoods and streets were relatively safe all night long.

In my opinion, this was one helluva expensive and potentially fatality-inviting BAD decision to abandon that ill-fated cruiser on the street for hours given the surroundings and the temper of the times.

Leni