Authorities Warn Of Police Impersonator
June 6, 2015
Area law enforcement is on high alert after reports of an alleged police impersonator in Atmore.
The Atmore Police Department said Friday that they’ve received reports of a person driving a white Ford Crown Victoria in the Atmore area that has already initiated a traffic stop on one vehicle and has driven through city with emergency lights activated. Police say they don’t know who the suspected police impersonator may be.
The vehicle is described as having a red light bar and blue interior lights. The vehicle has no tag and the only markings are a small circular sticker on the back window. The driver was described as a white male with blond hair, possibly in his 20’s. He may be wearing a blue uniform with a sewn-on badge. He was not wearing a traditional police-type “duty belt”.
The vehicle was last seen Thursday entering Atmore with lights activated on Highway 31 and turning onto Presley Street.
Atmore Police advises drivers that if a traffic stop is initiated in their city and their are no identifying markings on the patrol vehicle, call 911 or their department at (251) 368-9141. The operator will verify that the traffic stop is legitimate.
Anyone with information on the vehicle or driver is asked to call the Atmore Police Department at (251) 368-9141 or their local law enforcement agency.
Pictured: This photo supplied by the Atmore Police Department shows the vehicle being used by an alleged police impersonator.
Comments
8 Responses to “Authorities Warn Of Police Impersonator”
As a law enforcement officer, I would like to make a suggestion if you are concerned about being stopped by an unmarked police car. May departments do utilize unmarked cars for a variety of reasons, that isn’t the topic. If you have concerns, slow to below the speed limit, turn on your emergency flashers, call 911 to verify it is law enforcement and try to pull into a well lit/public place. Don’t make any sudden turns and be as obvious with your actions. If the dispatcher confirms it is a real officer pulling you over, be courteous and explain your actions. If the dispatcher denies it’s a real officer, get as good of a description as possible and try to use your phone to take pictures of the person and their vehicle.
Stay on the phone with the dispatcher and know where you are. Cellular phones normally go to either EMS or the Highway Patrol first and they must transfer your call to the right agency. Try and learn if you’re in a city jurisdiction or county jurisdiction. This can save valuable time and expedite police response.
The goal is your safety. Safety starts with you as does self protection.
This is gonna cause alot of confusion among drivers with the number of unmarked cruisers on the roads these days you won’t know who to trust its gonna be so bad there’s gonna be a lot of people with concealed weapons trying to follow the “stand your ground laws in most states if any ” not everyone carries cellphones and the fact it takes longer for deaf and hard of hearing to place a call to a dispatcher will really create an issue or if they are even eqiupped to assist the deaf and hard of hearing in said situations ….
This problem I am afraid is going to get worse before better. So many Law Enforcemnet Agencies today have vehicles that blend in with the general public. No lights on top and now loosing the crown Vic many switching to SUV’s. Call 9-11 before you pull over to make sure it is legit.
This same car was on Robinsonville Road headed east about 6 p.m. Thursday afternoon. I commented to my daughter “that car doesn’t look legit.” Hope it is located soon.
Again, someone without a car tag up to no good- (second story in northescambia this week). Maybe some one with knowledge in Alabama knows the answer to this question: would law enforcement consider it helpful/appropriate to report a vehicle being driven without a tag?
Several years ago a police impersonator was active on the northside of Escambia County. Maybe this person was released from a mental hospital after being deemed cured and has gone back to his old tricks.
He pulls me over it’ll be his last “traffic stop”
Wow! As if law enforcement officers didn’t have a hard enough time doing their job. Now they have to deal with this impersonator scaring the citizens of Atmore.
I sure hope they catch this guy. I wonder if this is the same person who was stopping people a few months back in Florida?