Apparently there have been a number of people impersonating police officers. The newspaper offers the following advice:
-Call 911 and give your location and tell your concerns. The dispatcher will be able to verify the person is a law enforcement officer. The caller can say, “I’m being pulled over. I’m not trying to evade the officer but I will pull over at a secure location.”
-Drive the posted speed limit and stop in a secure, well-lit location.
-Ask the person for identification. Besides a badge, law enforcement officers carry an identification card with the officer’s name and signature of the police chief or sheriff.
-Also, 911 can be called to verify if an out-of-state law enforcement officer stops you. The proper procedure is for any non-local law enforcement officer, including federal agents, to notify local law enforcement agencies whenever they are in their jurisdiction.
-Be polite and courteous and follow the person’s instructions. In rare cases, officers could ask for a Social Security number if the person doesn’t have a driver’s license, state identification card or passport.
Most of this doesn’t seem like bad advice, but I don’t think checking a police officers ID is going to help you too much. I doubt that I could spot a fake police ID.
This is essentially an attack against the implicit trust system that law enforcement officers exist within. Somebody in a suit with a gun and a badge is probably going to be able to pass as law enforcement without question among most people who aren’t law enforcement officers.
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