History Main / CanAlwaysSpotACop

* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': Spider-Man goes hot and cold with this trope. He doesn't really encounter police officers except when they're trying to arrest him, or when he's swinging in to give them a hand. Peter is observant and intelligent enough to pick up subtle clues that someone is a cop, but not consistently. His Spider-Sense does sometimes warn him that someone is carrying a gun, but that's only when they have hostile intentions toward him. Therefore it normally doesn't ping on undercover cops that he's around either in his civilian identity or as Spider-Man, since they don't usually have any hostile intentions towards him in either guise.

* ''Series/ColdCase'': PlayedForLaughs. In the episode "[[Recap/ColdCaseS7E1TheCrossing The Crossing]]", Nick Vera walks into a steakhouse, and before he can show his badge or even say a word, the host asks, "How can I help you, detective?" Apparently, his shoes gave him away.

* ''Series/{{Columbo}}'': In "Undercover," when Columbo has to go undercover to find pieces of a jigsaw puzzle revealing the location of bank robbery money, one of the persons of interest, Geraldine Ferguson (played by Creator/PeterFalk's wife Shera Danese) immediately susses out that he's a cop before Columbo has barely gotten more than a few words in.

* ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'': Played with. Carisi was a detective for years before he became a prosecutor. In "[[{{Recap/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnitS21E5AtMidnightInManhattan}} At Midnight in Manhattan]]" (Carisi's fifth episode as an ADA), Kat introduces him to her friend, [[VictimOfTheWeek a transgender prostitute]], who upon meeting him, says, "ADA? Your shoes say cop."

* The ''Series/{{NCIS}}''[=/=]''Series/LawAndOrderUK'' crossover fanfic "[[https://m.fanfiction.net/s/7222094/1/A-Tale-of-Two-Cities A Tale Of Two Cities]]" had Tony pegging Matt and Ronnie as cops the minute they walk into the NCIS office--"He could spot a cop a mile away and these guys had it written all over them, from their shoes to their haircuts", although he's surprised to learn that they're ''BritishCoppers'' once Ronnie speaks.

* An ''Series/{{NCIS}}''[=/=]''Series/LawAndOrderUK'' crossover fanfic had Tony pegging Matt and Ronnie as cops the minute they walk into the NCIS office--"He could spot a cop a mile away and these guys had it written all over them, from their shoes to their haircuts", although he's still surprised to hear Ronnie's British accent when he speaks.

* ''Series/BetterCallSaul'': Saul starts to sell untraceable throwaway cellphones to every criminal in Albuquerque during the year he's suspended as a lawyer. Not illegal, but definitely skeevy. When he's approached by a plainclothes police officer, Saul immediately recognizes him as such.
* Hilariously subverted in the ''Series/BreakingBad'' episode "[[Recap/BreakingBadS2E8BetterCallSaul Better Call Saul]]", which first introduced the character of [[AmoralAttorney Saul Goodman]]. A guy approaches meth dealer Badger trying to score, and despite Badger being TheDitz, he laughs the guy off, saying he knows the guy is an undercover cop, and points out nearby vehicles he insists are police vehicles acting as surveillance/backup. The guy tries to claim he isn't a cop, shows that he's not wearing a wire, and finally convinces Badger by using the "[[MustStateIfYoureACop undercover cops have to admit they are if you directly ask them]]" myth. Badger sells him some meth, only to find that his intuition was right when the guy pulls a gun and badge and arrests him. (And ''every vehicle'' Badger pointed out swoops in during the arrest).

* ''Series/ColdCase'': PlayedForLaughs. In the episode "[[Recap/ColdCaseS7E1TheCrossing The Crossing]]" Nick Vera walks into a steakhouse, before had can show a badge or say a word, the host says "How can I help you, detective?" Apparently, his shoes gave him away.

* ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'': Played with. Carisi was a detective for years before he became a prosecutor. In "[[{{Recap/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnitS21E5AtMidnightInManhattan}} At Midnight in Manhattan]]" (Carisi's fifth episode as an ADA) Kat introduces him to her friend, [[VictimOfTheWeek a transgender prostitute]] who upon meeting him says "ADA? Your shoes say cop."

-->''This guy says he's homeless. Put some effort into looking the part. Tattered clothes. Rundown shoes. Unshaven. But he obviously works out. Being homeless doesn't come with a gym membership. Those teeth are in real good shape. Regular brushing and flossing and trips to the dentist. Homelessness doesn't have a dental plan. The tinted contact lenses don't help either. Definitely a cop.''
* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'': Spider-Man goes hot and cold with this trope. He doesn't really encounter police officers except when they're trying to arrest him, or when he's swinging in to give them a hand. Peter is observant and intelligent enough to pick up subtle clues that someone is a cop, but not consistently. His Spider-Sense does sometimes warn him that someone is carrying a gun, but that's only when they have hostile intentions toward him. Therefore it normally doesn't ping on undercover cops that he's around either in his civilian identity or as Spider-Man, since they don't usually have any hostile intentions towards him in either guise.
* ComicBook/TheFlash Rogue Captain Cold does this, which makes sense as his own abusive dad was a cop. Invoked when he aids the ComicBook/SuicideSquad and meets Shade the Changing Man.
-->'''Captain Cold''': You're a cop, ain't ya?
-->'''Shade''': I'm a security officer, yes. How did you...
-->'''Captain Cold''': Cops is cops, pal, doesn't matter what "zone" they're from.
-->'''Captain Boomerang''': Ah, Lenny, me old chum, you always could sniff a jacko straight off!
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'': Thanks to his X-Ray vision, it's pretty easy for Superman to spot an undercover or plainclothes cop because he can see their badge, handcuffs, police-issue sidearm, etc.

* Referencing the page quote above, in the film ''Film/LAConfidential'', the first time Detective Bud White meets his future love interest [[HookerWithAHeartOfGold Lynn]], they're both in a liquor store. Bud is wearing plain clothes and Lynn hasn't seen anything to indicate that he's a cop. Nonetheless, when he impulsively wishes her a Merry Christmas, she only needs a moment to assess him before replying "Merry Christmas, officer." Bud is simultaneously impressed with her and sheepishly embarrassed that it's ''that'' obvious that he's a cop.

--->'''Colvin:''' ''[Walks into interview room and shuts door]'' So, Shawn--

** Plainclothes police are often preceded by a chorus of "five oh!" and "narcos!" in the streets, and when they go to the docks, dock police Beadie helpfully tells them the whistles they hear are the stevadores similarly signalling eachother that there are police around.
* ''Series/{{Hightown}}'': Ray in the garage. He's instantly made by Osito in a single glance, who says he can always tell if someone's a cop.
* ''Series/{{Psych}}'': Detective Lassiter is continually mocked for this.
--->'''Lassiter:''' No, these are my civvies.
--->'''Gus:''' They look exactly like your work clothes!
--->'''Lassiter:''' Hardly. I'm wearing my suede bucks. They’re a casual gentleman's shoe.
--->'''Shawn:''' A casual gentleman's shoe? What are you, the Great Gatsby?
* ''Series/{{CSINY}}'':
** Zig-zagged in the Season 1 finale, "[[Recap/CSINYS01E23 What You See Is What You See]]". Counterfeiters pick Mac's favorite diner to meet. As Mac enters for breakfast, having just come from the gym and dressed in a white t-shirt, a zip-up hoodie, and casual pants, one of them spots him and immediately coughs, trying to alert the other. The guy doesn't pick up on it and after he's caught, the detective calls him out on it:
--->'''Mac:''' Boyd made me the second he saw me, but you? You wouldn't know a cop if one walked right by you.
** In another episode, Danny and Flack chase and nab a suspect after he runs. When they catch him, he tells them, "You two ''look'' like cops, just so you know that."
* ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'': Played with. Carisi was a detective for years before he became a prosecutor. In "[[{{Recap/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnitS21E5AtMidnightInManhattan}} At Midnight in Manhattan]]" (Carisi's fifth episode as an ADA) Kat introduces him to her friend, [[VictimOfTheWeek a transgender prostitute]] who upon meeting him says "ADA? Your shoes say cop."

* The title character in "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBE9TZP26FI&ab_channel=tomcardy Business Man]]" does not fool anyone else in the song for even a second.

* In ''Series/{{Andor}}'', an undercover [[StateSec ISB agent]] named Corv is stationed on Ferrix to spy on Cassian's closest friends and family, in the hopes that observing them will help lead the ISB to Cassian. He's not an outright bad undercover agent, but he quickly gets made, including by Cinta, who is doing essentially the same thing except for Luthen's Rebel cell. When seen among native residents of Ferrix, he looks slightly off, mostly because he seems too clean and his clothes too well cared for to truly blend in with the mostly working-class locals, whose main occupation is repairing and scrapping spaceships. [[spoiler:During the riot in the first season finale, Cinta manages to tail and then kill him without much effort.]]

* In ''Series/{{Andor}}'', an undercover [[StateSec ISB agent]] named Corv is stationed on Ferrix to spy on Cassian's closest friends and family, in the hopes that something they observe will help lead the ISB to Cassian. He's not an outright bad undercover agent, but he quickly gets made, including by Cinta, who is doing essentially the same thing except for Luthen's Rebel cell. When seen among native residents of Ferrix, he looks slightly off, mostly because he seems too clean and his clothes too well cared for to truly blend in with the mostly working-class locals, whose main occupation is repairing and scrapping spaceships. [[spoiler:During the riot in the first season finale, Cinta manages to tail and then kill him without much effort.]]

** In the first season Sydnor (who is considered one of the best undercover cops in the Baltimore Police Department), is getting ready to go undercover as a homeless junkie in order to be recorded buying from certain dealers. Before going out on the street to actually do it, the other detectives in the special detail bring Sydnor in before [[TheInformant their informant]] Bubbles, who is an actual homeless junkie. While Sydnor's disguise and appearance is good enough on a surface level, it only takes a [[SherlockScan quick look]] for Bubbles to start poking holes in the facade. The biggest mistake by far is that Sydnor is wearing his wedding ring, which any junkie would have long since pawned off for drug money, but there are several smaller signs and details that might alert an observant dealer that Sydnor is a cop, and every junkie around would definitely know that he isn't who he says he is.

* ''Series/TheThinBlueLine'': Played for laughs. In one episode [[CluelessDetective Inspector Grim]] is attempting to capture some suspected delinquents, so he has two of his detectives pose as youths to infiltrate the party. The person at the door immediately pegs them for police officers with a single glance.

This trope occurs in works of fiction when characters can tell someone is a police officer upon first meeting them. It doesn't matter what the circumstances are, and the character who identifies them as a cop can be either good or bad. Can be either played for laughs or played straight. If played straight, it can be a casual, no stress encounter wherein they simply observe that someone is clearly a cop. Conversely, if a cop has infiltrated a criminal organization but has only dealt with underlings, it can happen when someone more senior in the organization, like the BigBad, shows up and suddenly yells "what's wrong with you idiots? ''Can't you tell he's a cop?''"

--> ''This guy says he's homeless. Put some effort into looking the part. Tattered clothes. Rundown shoes. Unshaven. But he obviously works out. Being homeless doesn't come with a gym membership. Those teeth are in real good shape. Regular brushing and flossing and trips to the dentist. Homelessness doesn't have a dental plan. The tinted contact lenses don't help either. Definitely a cop.''
* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'': Spider-Man goes hot and cold with this trope. He doesn't really encounter police officers except when they're trying to arrest him, or when he's swinging in to give them a hand. Peter is observant and intelligent enough to pick up subtle clues that someone is a cop, but not consistently. His Spider-Sense does sometimes warn him that someone is carrying a gun, but that's only when they have hostile intentions towards him. Therefore it normally doesn't ping on undercover cops that he's around either in his civilian identity or as Spider-Man, since they don't usually have any hostile intentions towards him in either guise.
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'': Thanks to his X-Ray vision, it's pretty easy for Superman to spot a undercover or plainclothes cop because he can see their badge, handcuffs, police-issue sidearm, etc.

* ''Film/Angel1984'': The titular "Angel" identifies the undercover vice cop the second she hops in his car. Knowing she is probably being recorded, she says nothing to identify herself as a prostitute, specifically states she is underage, and asks the cop to let her out as she sees a friend waiting on the sidewalk. Without a leg to stand on, the vice cop has no option but comply.

* Referencing the page quote above, in the film ''Film/LAConfidential'', the first time Detective Bud White meets his future love interest [[HookerWithAHeartOfGold Lynn]], they're both in a liquor store. Bud is wearing plain clothes and Lynn hasn't seen anything to indicate that he's a cop. Nonetheless when he impulsively wishes her a Merry Christmas, she only needs a moment to assess him before replying "Merry Christmas, officer." Bud is simultaneously impressed with her and sheepishly embarrassed that it's ''that'' obvious that he's a cop.

* ''Film/Teachers1984'' has a sub-plot of an undercover officer in the high school, posing as a student. ''No one'' is fooled, to the point where the students feed him bullshit information just for laughs. Even the Principal knows all about it. At one point, when uniformed cops are in the school and the undercover officer is in the background, the Principal points him out and asks the cops if they know he's failing English.
* In ''Film/TrainingDay'', shortly after Jake meets Alonzo, (a secretly CorruptCop who leads a special police unit that Jake is trying to get into) Alonzo orders Jake to try to buy from a street drug dealer. Despite them being in plain clothes and riding around in Alonzo's CoolCar, the dealer can instantly tell Jake is a cop because of how he asks for drugs. Although, Alonzo later hints that he is already familiar with Blue, so he might have just recognized Alonzo and logically concluded that Jake was also a cop.

* Film/{{xXx}} : Xander Cage can spot police in his native America but also in the eastern bloc countries he visits, going so far as to point them out to establish his bona fides with the Russian mafia. Of course, he was actually ''on a mission'' with said Czech agent; his cunning isn't in that he was able to spot the guy (although he does [[InvokedTrope invoke it]]), but having the foresight to realize his local handler was more useful as a tool to infiltrate the mob than as a partner.

* In the ''Creator/StephenKing'' novel ''Literature/TheDarkHalf'', George Stark, the come-to-life evil alter ego of the writer protagonist (it's complicated) has just murdered one of the people on his kill list, knows the police are on the way, and is stealthily leaving the scene. While hidden, Stark sees a black man dressed in wraparound shades, hi-top sneakers, and a I LOVE NY t-shirt (it was the 80s after all), running towards the crime scene. Stark wryly thinks that when cops go undercover they just can't seem to help themselves and dress so over the top and stereotypical that instead of disguising them it winds up being obvious that they're cops because their "disguises" are too stereotypical to possibly be real. As far as Stark is concerned, the man might as well be carrying around a sign that reads "I AM A POLICE OFFICER."

** By ''Literature/{{Maskerade}}'', it's invoked. The undercover police officers consists of Sergeant Detritus, a troll who is too big to wear disguises, Corporal Nobby Nobbs, who carries around a card signed by the midwife confirming that he's (probably) human, and [[spoiler:Andre]]. Detritus and Nobby are there to draw attention away from the real undercover cop.

* In ''Series/{{Andor}}'', an undercover [[StateSec ISB agent]] named Corv is stationed on Ferrix to spy on Cassian's closest friends and family , in the hopes that something they observe will help lead the ISB to Cassian. He's not an outright bad undercover agent, but he quickly gets made, including by Cinta, who is doing essentially the same thing except for Luthen's Rebel cell. When seen among native residents of Ferrix, he looks slightly off, mostly because he seems too clean and his clothes too well cared for to truly blend in with the mostly working class locals, whose main occupation is repairing and scrapping spaceships. [[spoiler:During the riot in the first season finale, Cinta manages to tail and then kill him without much effort.]]

* Hilariously subverted in the ''Series/BreakingBad'' episode "[[Recap/BreakingBadS2E8BetterCallSaul Better Call Saul]]", which first introduced the character of [[AmoralAttorney Saul Goodman]]. A guy approaches meth dealer Badger trying to score, and despite Badger being TheDitz, he laughs the guy off, saying he knows the guy is an undercover cop, and points out nearby vehicles he insists are police vehicles acting a surveillance/backup. The guy tries to claim he isn't a cop, shows that he's not wearing a wire, and finally convinces Badger by using the "[[MustStateIfYoureACop undercover cops have to admit they are if you directly ask them]]" myth. Badger sells him some meth, only to find that his intuition was right when the guy pulls a gun and badge and arrests him. (And ''every vehicle'' Badger pointed out swoops in during the arrest).
* ''Series/ColdCase'': PlayedForLaughs. In the episode "[[Recap/ColdCaseS7E1TheCrossing The Crossing]]" Nick Vera walks into a steakhouse, before had can show a badge or say a word, the host says "How can I help you detective?" Apparently, his shoes gave him away.

** Played straight many, many times. Drug dealers and street kids tend to develop a very good sense for who is a cop. Even after retiring from the police and starting to work with various educators and professors, Howard "Bunny" Colvin still finds street kids identifying him as police and treating him accordingly. Specific examples include one time when he wanders down a hallway in a local middle school and suddenly realizes that all the kids there are avoiding him and whispering to each other about him being a cop. In another case he accompanies Professor Paretti to interview a local youth and is immediately identified as a cop.

** In one case, however, the show notably averts this and plays the aversion for laughs. Before retiring, Colvin spends a day going around his district in a [[PaperThinDisguise fairly obvious but unmarked police car]] and stops by a corner at a red light. A ''very'' young dealer at that corner comes up to see if he's buying. Colvin is incredulous, (he is, after all, sitting in a police car, in uniform, listening to the reports coming from his police radio) and not until he puts on his police hat does that kid get the message that he approached the wrong car. The other corner kids and dealers laugh hysterically at the kid for not being able to recognize a cop.

* ''Website/TheHardTimes'': Used to deliver a TakeThat against Music/{{Hatebreed}} in "[[https://thehardtimes.net/culture/undercover-cop-gives-self-away-by-wearing-hatebreed-shirt/ Undercover Cop Gives Self Away by Wearing Hatebreed Shirt]]". Characters in the article list a number of other obvious signs for undercover cops at protests, including an athletic build, cargo shorts and unfinished tribal tattoos.

** A slight variant shows up in the first season where Archer is having AdventuresInComaland. Archer (who in this case is playing out the season as a late 1940s PrivateDetective), can tell a car is an unmarked police car as soon as he sees it. Wondering what it's doing there draws him into one of the season's subplots, a HumanTrafficking ring which several {{Corrupt Cop}}s are connected to.

** The highly dysfunctional team of spies always has terrible luck with going undercover, and their cover is usually quick blown or seen through. Sometimes this is because their [[WeAreStrugglingTogether perpetual infighting]] or [[SmallNameBigEgo overblown egos]] lead them to blow it for themselves, other times, it's because [[InsideJob whoever hired them in the first place is the real culprit]], and their attempts at disguising themselves or going undercover never had a chance.

[[folder:AnimeAndManga]]

[[folder:ComicBooks]]

[[folder:Films-LiveAction]]

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', the Ankh-Morpork City Watch realizes how badly it needs undercover detectives when several well-known street faces are sent out on missions where they have to pretend to be members of the public. It simply doesn't work - especially when it transpires that people who spend their whole working lives in uniform are simply out of the habit of wearing civilian clothes and might have, in the case of veteran sergeant Fred Colon, a very old civilian suit that last fitted him when he was younger and slimmer a couple of decades before. And Captain Carrot's idea of going undercover involves completely unconvincing items of disguise that make him look like Mr. Potato Head. By the end of the book ''Literature/MenAtArms'', Commander Vimes has seen the need for a dedicated plainclothes detective force.

* ''Literature/WhileMyPrettyOneSleeps'': Nicky Sepetti bragged that could always "smell a cop". His claim may be accurate given that he almost instantly pegs Carmen Machado, a new member of the gang who joined while he was in prison, as an undercover cop. Machado, whose real name is Tony Vitale, is indeed a cop. Sepetti scathingly tells Joey - who accepted Machado into the gang - that he's a moron who failed to do a thorough background check on Machado. After Tony is shot by the gang, the cops correctly guess that Sepetti was the one who blew his cover.

--->'''Colvin:''' ''[Walks into interview room and shuts door]'' So, Shawn-

--->'''Lassiter''': No, these are my civvies.
--->'''Gus''': They look exactly like your work clothes!
--->'''Lassiter''': Hardly. I’m wearing my suede bucks. They’re a casual gentleman’s shoe.
--->'''Shawn''': A casual gentleman’s shoe? What are you, the Great Gatsby?

** In another episode, Danny and Flack chase and nab a suspect after he runs. When they catch him, he tells them, "You two *look* like cops, just so you know that."

* This is sometimes pretty easy in real life, and there's even a Website/WikiHow [[https://www.wikihow.com/Spot-Undercover-Cops page]] about it. One common tip is to look at their shoes. Undercover cops often wear military-style boots with street clothes.

* ''Website/TheHardTimes'': Used to deliver a TakeThat against Music/{{Hatebreed}} in an article titled "[[https://thehardtimes.net/culture/undercover-cop-gives-self-away-by-wearing-hatebreed-shirt/ Undercover Cop Gives Self Away by Wearing Hatebreed Shirt]]". Characters in the article list a number of other obvious signs for undercover cops at protests, including an athletic build and cargo shorts and unfinished tribal tattoos.