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Safety Tips To Avoid Impersonators
| Police impersonators want easy victims! Don't be easy to attack. If you are being pulled over at night and are reasonably sure that you have not broken the law: 1. Put on your flashers, go the speed limit and call 911 to verify that this is a legitimate traffic stop. 2. If it is legitimate, they will be able to confirm this information right away. It is safe to pull over at that point. 3. If it is not a real police officer, STAY on the line with dispatch and they will guide you from there. |
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| If you do NOT have a cell phone: 1. Put your flashers on, go the speed limit and drive to a well lit, well populated area. (A place with video cameras like Walmart would be ideal.) 2. If you stop, do NOT put your car in park. Leave it in gear so that you always have an escape if necessary. 3. If you are not feeling like this is official, roll down your window only a few inches and ask the officer to call for a marked vehicle. Do not hand him your information and DO NOT get out of the car. If he refuses, leave. Drive to a place where you can get some help. Be sure to drive the speed limit and put on the flashers. |
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| Some impersonators will come to your home and knock on your door. They will flash badges and say things to gain your trust like there is a situation in the neighborhood or there has been a complaint.. *Fake badges and uniforms can be purchased on the Internet. *Lock your doors and do not open them even if they show you identification. Without a search warrant signed by a judge, they cannot enter your home without your permission. *Observe what they look like, height, weight, hair, color, etc. *Tell them that you are calling 911 to verify. *Chances are they will flee at that point. Notify dispatch and be sure to give a description. |
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| Key things to remember: Don't be an easy target. Don't travel without a cell phone. Don't let strangers in your home .Do not get out of the car or put it in park . Fumbling around for your registration and insurance is a distraction. Put that information in a handy, easy to reach place. Pay attention to your surroundings. |
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| Remember to ALWAYS report suspicious behavior. In most states: Red and Blue lights are law enforcement .Yellow lights are city workers. All red lights are emergency vehicles. White flashing lights are nothing! Volunteer vehicles like fire fighters, rescue workers do NOT have the right to make traffic stops. Only Law enforcement officers are allowed to pull you over. To be absolutely sure what lights are law enforcement in your city and state, call your local law enforcement agency to get that information. Find out what the laws are regarding police impersonation. It is only a FELONY in a few states. Write your Senators and Congressmen to complain about laws in your state regarding this topic, especially light laws. In Colorado, before Lacy was killed, it was a 15 dollar traffic fine to have police lights on a car.
For More information go to:
http://realisticsafetysolutions.com/ |
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11/06/09
Dear Wendy,
I know that it has been awhile since Lacy was taken from you. I was a classmate of Lacy’s at UNC. It was a sad and tragic time for us all. I wanted to basically write you this letter to let you know what you have done to make me feel safer. After the tragedy with Lacy, we held many different “classes” at UNC about what to do if you are pulled over by an unmarked police car or a “cop” in street clothes especially if it is dark outside. I went to one to see what they were going to tell me to do and try to learn so I could teach others too.
Last month, actually October 28th, I was driving from my parents’ house to my apartment on the other end of town. I saw a car with flashing lights and didn’t think much of it until I passé the car and realized it didn’t look like a “normal” police car. I pulled in front of the car to get off on the next exit and he turned on the lights again. I got that butterfly feeling in my belly that something wasn’t right. I slowed down but called the Colorado State Patrol and asked if I was supposed to be pulled over; they told us to do that in class. The lady on the phone reassured me that no, I wasn’t being pulled over. She informed me that the person following me was not a police officer and to not pull over. He turned off his lights and I exited from the interstate. To my fear, he exited as well and turned on his lights again. I called them back informing them that I was now being followed by the guy and didn’t feel safe going home. He turned off his lights and turned down the road that leads to one of our police substations. I continued the long way home making a lot of unnecessary turns to be sure I wasn’t being followed anymore. After I got home, I called my mom right away and while on the phone with her, the dispatch called me again. They were sending a trooper to my house to take a report if I was willing to provide one to try to catch this guy.
I thought of Lacy right away. Of course I would make a statement, I would get up in a court in front of him and look him in the eye and tell him of my classmate from college that we had to go to her funeral because of a person just like him. I did my statement. They caught the guy that night. I was informed that he was wearing a security uniform and had a gold police badge. He had a toy pistol in his belt band as well as handcuffs. Enough to make anyone else who didn’t have to live through the tragedy of losing a friend, a classmate a wonderful person pull over and do whatever this guy told them to do.
I wanted to thank you for all the time that you and your family have spent on getting the word out about police impersonators. Thank you for helping me. You may have saved my life a few weeks ago. If I hadn’t learned from you and those classes what to do, I would have pulled over and who knows what may have happened from there. I just wanted to thank you for everything.
Always,
Christina
Thanks again J
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