Fake Pittsburgh cops pulling over cars

[HiredGoon]

Warning Issued About Counterfeit Cops

PITTSBURGH -- Two people from Ohio thought they were doing the right thing when they pulled over for someone claiming to be a police officer, but that wasn't the case.

About 12:30 Tuesday morning, Pittsburgh Police say a car was pulled over on Spring Garden Avenue by two men that weren't real cops.

People living in the area are just hearing of the incident.

"It concerns me because I'm a parent. I have a 4-year-old child," said Amanda Platek of Spring Garden.

"It's not hard to believe anymore what people are doing," said Al Thein of Spring Garden.

Police say two white males in a dark green older, model Ford Taurus pulled behind the victims and flashed the headlights.

The driver of the suspect car identified himself as a Pittsburgh Police officer and told the victims to pull over.

When they did, the two suspects got out of the car with semi-automatic handguns.

The victims were forced out of their car and searched.

The suspects took $240 dollars from the victims, their license plate and fled the scene.

"It's getting worse every year. It's you know, I'm going to keep my eye out," said Thein.

"I would have asked for identification first, to see who they really were, because if they weren't Pittsburgh Police they had no right doing it," said Platek.

The suspects allegedly showed a round, star-type badge.

Pittsburgh Police say even plain clothes officers have badges, clearly visible, and unmarked cars have red and blue flashing lights.

Police are asking everyone to be on alert.

"I live right up the street. I look around," said Thein.

[ReefBlue]

This sort of thing pops up from time to time.

If you're getting pulled over and you suspect things, put your flashers on (which lets the car behind you know they have been acknowledged) and drive to a gas station or something with people.

You could also call 911 to verify there is a car that has informed dispatch that they lit you up.

[DCChris]

Incidents like this make me think that police departments should restrict routine traffic patrol to uniformed officers. I know that's not the cure, but I think it would make it atleast a little more difficult for the perpetrators to pull off.

[Dredly]

This sort of thing pops up from time to time.

If you're getting pulled over and you suspect things, put your flashers on (which lets the car behind you know they have been acknowledged) and drive to a gas station or something with people.

You could also call 911 to verify there is a car that has informed dispatch that they lit you up.

But you can also get in some serious trouble for failure to pull over if you take to long to pull over, there are a lot of roads that I drive on where it would be several miles to get to a public place.

[Tootie]

This has been happening a lot more recently and it's scary especially for women. I have been told never to stop for an unmarked car. To drive slowly with flashers on to the nearest police station, then and only then will I stop. If it is a real police officer they will understand the concerns I have for my safety.

I had a car try to pull me over in this manner a few years back and they had the flashing headlights going. I slowed down but never stopped, when I was approaching the police station they quickly pulled off a side street a took off. My safety concerns are more important then any reason for pulling me over, period.

[LittleRedToyota]

one simple rule:

no red and blues...

no pull over.

[pex]

Anyone can buy lights from Spencers or similar novelty shop that might look like police lights at night, also. Sometimes it's hard to determine the nature of the vehicle at night if they (the normal force) has lights placed in odd places (example, a marked car but lights placed inside instead of on top).

I've seen suggestions to call 911 (or, with the advent of GOOGLE 411, the station with local jurisdiction if you can ascertain that somehow) to verify.

It's a simple fact that the police officer is probably going to give you shit if you're inquisitive about his authority (i.e. I submit to no communication until I can ascertain you're an officer by calling your station's dispatcher) or approaching the situation armed (god help you if you don't have an LTCF and you're trying to defend yourself against fake police while driving!) I assume that's why the 911 call while putting on your flashers or dome light or whatever and slowing down but not stopping is suggested as a proactive move.

I think it's really a tough situation given the way both officers often already approach the situation along with the potential for any actor to be a fraud.

[LittleRedToyota]

Anyone can buy lights from Spencers or similar novelty shop that might look like police lights at night, also.

are they allowed to sell red-and-blue flashers?

i thought there was a law against selling them to civilians...i know it is illegal to actually have them on your car.

[625]

are they allowed to sell red-and-blue flashers?

Yep. http://search.ebay.com/search/search...hts&category0=

[Kaos]

are they allowed to sell red-and-blue flashers?

i thought there was a law against selling them to civilians...i know it is illegal to actually have them on your car.

I dont think they sell them together
you can buy blue, then you can buy red.

tada.

I always ask for the officer's identification before I give them mine.