A hidden backseat storage area on a vehicle is the perfect place to hide items one doesn't want others to find - so good, in fact, police officers in New York City had to issue an internal police memo about the elusive compartment.
The compartment - found on the 2006 Infiniti G35 - is nestled safely inside the backseat armrest, located on the side once it is pulled down.
New York Police Department officers on Staten Island were informed of the compartment in a 2006 memo obtained by Newsday.
"Uniformed members of the service are cautioned to use extreme vigilance and remain alert for hidden compartments when conducting car stops and searching vehicles," the memo stated.
Included in the memo was a photograph of a handgun fitting inside the compartment.
According to a NYPD spokesperson, the discovery of the compartment came as a result of information passed from another law enforcement agency. Police did not find the compartment during an investigation into a crime.
So what is supposed to fit inside the compartment? According to a company spokesperson Scott Vazin, a first aid kit is normally housed inside the secret compartment.
"That's what the spot is for," Infiniti spokesperson Scott Vazin added. "It's not for any illegal contraband, such as weapons. It's certainly not the intention we had, to promote illicit activity. Infiniti is about luxury and performance."
Police routinely have to crack down on criminals utilizing secret compartments in vehicles.
In 2006, police in Manhattan found a hidden storage area underneath the central console of a 2006 Nissan. The vehicle belonged to a drug dealer known in the community.
Police also discovered a hidden motorized trapdoor behind the backseat of a 1996 Mercury during a stop of a man who had been driving erratically and was found to have drugs in his possession.
A hammer was needed to pry the door open.
