What would our society be without the thin blue line? There are some people who are pretty interested in finding out. I don’t think they will like the results. If not for this small group of brave people and the silent contract that most of us agree to in following the laws, our nation could never be what it is today.
We would become a destabilized, highly armed, and dangerous populace run by warlords and gangs. None of that is good. I don’t care what you think of the nation we have inherited.
What about those imposters out there who pose as law enforcement? This is extremely popular in other nations. It’s a great shakedown tactic.
“You gotta pay the bridge fee of $50 to get across this bridge.”
If we see massive civil unrest and a further crumbling of our society there will be many more instances of these fake cops running around taking women and children, stealing money, or even just committing murder.
So, how do you identify fake law enforcement?
Related: What Happens When the Government Becomes Your Worst Enemy
At Your Door
What do the police in your area look like? You should know this. When an officer comes to your door simply give them a look before opening the door.
Look at the uniform, badge, numbers and look at the belt to see if they are carrying all the items on the utility belt.
While there are many places selling legitimate police gear these days, you can always tell you are not sure, and you would like them to verify that they are the police. There is almost no reason why a police officer should want to come into your home unless you have given them a reason to.
Another tell is to look for the police cruiser. Is there a legitimate law enforcement vehicle parked outside your home? The police are not going to walk to your home. They will park the car out front before the approach.
Pulling You Over
For most people, getting pulled over is nerve racking. That is part of the issue. You are already excited, and you want to be calm in all of this. This is where an imposter will take advantage of your panic. They can be aggressive and make you do what they want, if you think they are really a cop.
Imagine being loaded into a fake police car. What on earth is coming next?
Take note of the car being used.
Is the car beat up, different than the typical police car? Are the lights different? Is the siren different than anything you have heard?
Take note of all this before pulling over. If you are concerned do not pull over.
There are also some telltale reflective decals on the sides and hood of the police cars. Look for these!
Online
The police are getting savvy online, but it is exceedingly rare that they contact you. Any interaction with police through social media, or something like that, should be verified. Simply call 911 to be sure this is what it should be.
Also, don’t give any of your information to the “officer” online. Do not give any addresses or anything like this.
Reacting To An Imposter
Identifying the imposter is one thing but what happens next is of the utmost importance. If you are quick to grab a firearm it could cost you your life if your imposter turns out to be a real cop! So, we must be smart about the steps we take after a fake police officer is identified.
At Your Door
If you identify a fake police officer at your door there is one thing you should do, immediately.
Get the police on the phone and tell the person at the door that you have 911 on the phone. Ask the operator if they have a police officer at your location. This can be verified pretty easily.
If it is an imposter they will likely run away at this point. If they continue to try and break into your home, at least you know you are dealing with a violent intruder and not a police officer. You can also tell the operator to send police to your location.
Pulling You Over
Again, go back to the 911 operator in a situation like this.
If you are unsure about the car or the person inside you can just keep driving with the 911 operator on the phone. They will be able to verify what is going on with the police car that is tailing you, with the lights on.
Immediately, head towards the nearest police station. This will be a further deterrent to the imposter who is following you.
Online
This is easier because you don’t have to worry as much about immediate violence of action. That is the most terrifying instance. Online you don’t run the risk of arrest or even bodily harm. Still, a clever hacker can take advantage of someone who is intimidated by the presence of law enforcement in the online world.
If you are being questioned online by someone who claims to be law enforcement, simply ask for a few things.
- Department
- Contact Phone Number
- Sheriff or Superior’s Contact Info
You should be able to easily verify whether this is an imposter or not by using this information.
Related: When To Speak To The Police, And When To Shut Up
We are living through very strange and dangerous times. The definition of a criminal has been blurred over the last 40 years. This puts the average person at risk. Criminals are better informed and better outfitted these days, too!
To intimidate someone and pose as fake law enforcement would not take a lot of research or effort. It would have much more to do with finding the right kind of victim. Never be the RIGHT KIND OF VICTIM. Know your rights and understand that you can use the steps we mentioned to verify a police officer, in most situations.
If you are dealing with someone impersonating a police officer, it means that your life is potentially at risk. Someone who is willing to do that kind of things understands the risks but looks at the reward as something that is worth the heavy price! Do not take this lightly. As always, you should be prepared to defend yourself but take smart precautions to keep yourself safe.
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“Immediately, head towards the nearest police state.”???
Exactly what does that mean, Mr. Walton?
I’d have to cross an ocean to get to the nearest police state, unless this article was written & published in China first.
Or is Mr. Walton alluding to an as yet unknown fact that the USA might already indeed be a police state?
Be that as it may, thanks for the great info. I’m sure it will come in handy in the very near future.
Fake cops. LMAO. Which ones are real anyway. The real cops and fake cops they are all the same to me. Don’t trust none of them. Sad to say. They have grown in to a destructive force against the law abiding people and let the shitty people run wild.
Our chief of police was arrested for malisting his step daughter from age 8 to 15 yrs old.
Here where I live they are very corrupt.
No I’m not for defending the police but some one has to watch for fake cops and real bad cops.
O, for got, thats GOD that is doing that.
The Cops have BECOME the Damn Robbers !!!
Need a “Cop” ? Call a Doughnut Shop !!!!
Tal…how about head to the nearest “police station” just a small grammatical error.
Police Station…remember that.
Years ago, while I was still in college, I worked at restaurant/nightclub in Underground Atlanta, a very popular location for enjoying an evening out with a wide array of interesting shops, great restaurants, and clubs. I’d get off at 2:00 a.m. and had a long drive alone to Decatur to get home. Almost immediately out of the facility’s parking lot one Saturday night, a car pulled in behind me. The roads were always desolate at that hour, but this car followed me through the Atlanta city limits, all the way down Dekalb Ave. and onto Decatur Street into Decatur matching my every turn. I grew more and more leery of the vehicle’s occupant as I got closer to my home, and realized that the last thing I wanted to do was pull up where I lived. I was ery frightened and starting to panic a bit, when it hit me that the Decatur Police Station was only a few blocks further, so I drove straight to their station and pulled into their emergency vehicles only emergency ramp that had a manned desk similar to that of a bank teller. The pursuer who had stayed right on my tail, honked his horn as I pulled in on the ramp and then sped off. The officer was startled by my sudden appearance, but when I explained my situation, he put out an all points bulletin to patrolling cars to be on the lookout for the car captured in the station’s exterior cameras and he had 3 patrol cars escort me safely home, where they also searched the inside before having me enter. I have always been deeply grateful to all of the officers who assisted me that night. They were very kind and understanding, and even told me that I had made the exactly right decision and that they were glad I had not acted foolishly by trying to handle it by myself and to never to hesitate to call them if I should need their help. I have no idea what the intentions of that driver might have been, but as a single young woman driving and living alone, I knew I didn’t want to risk finding out! BTW, the officers who helped me were Black, White, and Hispanic.
I knew you meant “police station” and not “police state” and I assumed it was the program that changes words when we type something.
But then, there are those who cannot think when they read something helpful.
George
Station–he meant STATION.
Yeah, dammit! I’m a long ways from either Commiefornia or New Dork…
It’s obviously a typo. It should read “head towards the nearest police station”
Some typos. I believe this was “station”. Someone needs to proof read.
Misprint… think that was supposed to be ‘police station’.
We are heading to a police state, but I think this was a typo and he meant station, not state. A better idea is to stop in a busy location with many cell phones to document the stop.
This is a very informative article. I figured he meant police station.
TAL, I believe, (or like to believe) OP meant to say “police station” instead of “state”. but ya never know.
I believe that is a typo – stupid predictive text on cell phones, tablets and computers. And “spell check” s not “mind reader.” It isn’t even “grammar police.”
Going by the context, I would assume that should have said, “the nearest police STATION.”
Yo, Tal, You don’t read much do you, do you?
The article CLEARLY States, and I quote, “ . . .head towards the nearest police STATION.”
You need to be more of a Careful Detailed reader and less of a person who judges based on incorrect perception. Maybe your glasses need an update.
E.
TAL, are you really so stupid you don’t recognize a typo, or one of those auto-fill programs changing what was typed into what the algorithm determines? Therefore “station” becomes “state” and is easily understood to be an error by those with any real comprehension. Good luck surviving with an attitude like yours. I’m sure glad nobody I care about will be depending on you, but I hear there is an Elohim “Raven” cult in Swissconsin that has openings for arrogant idiots like you.
in a serious SHTF it won’t only be fake cops – scammers & thieves of alll kinds are already using uniforms including IDs to access property >> a reflective vest & hardhat goes a long way in duping people …..
Warrior: And rogue cops. It’s heading to be like Mexico is now. In 1912, they had a better economy than we did, then socialists took over. You mind your kids, always, or a cop might ‘arrest’ them and take them away to sell. down there, folks watch out for each other. A friend in N. Mexico takes his family to mexico every year for a month. they work under the table, and the kids run free. A cop tried to take his little girl (then about 5) from the marketplace. the old women rioted. men got involved and it took the military to make them let the cops out of the station house. The one who tried to steal the kid, not enough was found to feed the chickens. when the cops held a funeral with an empty casket, the mayor showed up and spit on the casket. that’s how scared they all were of little old ladies 🙂 niio
Is a hard copy avilable
Dave, depending on the browser you are using, you can print a copy. I use Firefox and up top left I click “view”, then click “Enter Reader View”, after the page changes to text only, I click “File”, and “Print”. Just the text prints up. You can choose Print B&W only in your printer to save color ink. The Reader View also makes copy and paste of the entire document to a Notepad or Word doc. very easy. Good luck.
You can use the print function at the top of the page to print out a hard copy. See where it says, “Print This Article”? That will give you your hard copy.
Life in America is going to be different with the dems in total control of “3” branches of government. John Roberts is not a conservative. Use of all your protective senses will be paramount. Getting your state governments to make your state a Second Amendment sanctuary is critical to all future Freedom and safety. Now is the time for all Patriots to take a stand.
Arizona is a sovereign state. Dems don’t like that, but most of us don’t like dems, either. Of course, dominion loves them. we have the 2nd Amendment written into the state constitution. Hre, when buying a gun, you pay and fill out any paperwork, then take it home. If there’s an issue, contact your congressman and he takes care of it. Most guns seem to be heading south of the border, but none of us mind.
niio
TAL, the word obviously should have been “station”
“Immediately, head towards the nearest police state.”
Seems like we’re heading towards one now.
a very typical and long used ploy is for people to portray themselves as some sort of utility worker and claim they need to access your property.
another popular deception is to pose as some sort of delivery driver, especially now with all the lockdown BS being illegally imposed by wanna be dictators such as Governors and Mayors blatantly exceeding their legal authority and intentionally violating our constitutional rights.
In Manhattan yesterday there was another B L M Burn it going to be a no issue when the cops no longer are there to serve and protect! Mid town Manhattan Demonstration in Time Square. In the ruckus, newswoman was accosted by the mob as a suspected T supporter. She was able to break free and run over to a line of police who where there for crowd control. They told her to stay back 6 feet and watched as she was forced to renter the mob. NY Post. 1/11/2021
That why I said what I said. Not here for us…
Thanks for all the thumbs up.
If you are on the phone or on line, do not ask the person in contact what phone number to use, they will give you an accomplice’s phone number who will verify that they are indeed legitimate. Instead hang up with the promise to call back and call either 911 or the contact number listed for the agency the caller supposedly represents. Each law enforcement entity has a public contact number. That operator can either answer your question or direct you to the duty officer who will know whether the call is legitimate or not.
Be sure to record the phone number the suspect caller gives you. It will enable law enforcement to follow up on the call you received and with luck, institute an investigation.
I think calling 911 is still a pretty good idea. That is unless you’re driving then its illegal.
Not illegal if you are calling 911 and/or reporting an emergency. Most state laws stipulate that fact.
Major point: 911 will probably will be down along with the rest of the communication infrastructure.
It’s not easy to identify a fake cop from a real cop. Some of the real cops are fake in character (just consider the damage some of them have caused to innocent people). In my opinion, we are already seeing signs that SHTF has already begun.
Hillbilly, yes, shtf has already begun. We are in it pretty deep now, and it’s gonna get even deeper. The month or so will be semi-quiet before the storm. Spend these next few weeks wisely in preparing for what is coming. My number one advice to everyone, get out of the cities.
Interesting you said go to the nearest police station. I took 3 CCW/self defense courses taught by pretty tough cops. They said do not go to the station because the are no cops there. They are all out on patrol. They said go to a highly populated, well lit area. More people=deterrent because most perpetrators don’t want a confrontation.
Jane: That may be true in the political entity where you took your courses. It is not true in every political jurisdiction. For instance, in our town we have a duty sergeant on duty in the police station in addition to the receptionist on duty behind the bullet & bomb resistant bubble where she sits. At the sheriff’s main office here in town there are all kinds of deputies coming and going due to the fact that it is also the main jail. It is busy there all hours of the day and night.
A fire station may be a good place to stop if there is a full time fire department in the political entity where you are involved in an incident such as described.
Of course, if it is a small town and has a volunteer fire department that will not be true. In a small town, late at night finding a busy intersection may be just as hard as finding a cop in the town where you took your CCW training.
Many years ago I had occasion to be stopped by a CHP officer in the oh dark thirty hours of the morning on a very lonely highway. I watched very carefully as he exited his patrol car to see the CHP insignia on the door. When he got to my window I told him that if I hadn’t seen the insignia on the door he was going to have to follow me to the Lancaster substation of the LA Sheriff’s department, that using a redlight on a lonely road during very late night or early morning hours was what got Caryl Chessman in all the trouble that landed him on death row. He looked startled and said he wanted to warn me that I was over the speed limit and should watch it. This was at a time when going 66 mph in a 65 zone was a citable offense and c.s. cops would write a ticket for 66 mph. He claimed I was doing 68. I promised to watch it and he left.
That was exactly what I was going to do if there was no insignia on the door. I was going to drive down the middle of the two-lane road at 55 mph until I got to the Lancaster substation where I was going to lean on the horn until some deputy came out and told me to knock it off.
The CHP at that time didn’t have cowcatchers on the fronts of their patrol cars and the Pitt maneuver was not taught at the CHP driving academy so if he had contacted my car, his car would have suffered the more severe damage.
Caryl Chessman was the infamous red light rapist whose favorite m.o. was to turn on a red light on a dark road where there was a woman in the car and use that pretext to rape and in too many cases, kill her and her companion if there was one. He was one of the last killers to be executed in the PDRK. We have a whole bunch of people who were sentenced to death and got their sentences reduced to life with possibility of parole by the Rose Bird Supremes who didn’t believe in the death penalty even though the voters of the state did. That was back when California still had some semblance of reasonability and the whole bunch of Supremes got thrown off the court in the next election. Today I doubt that would happen. While we nominally have the death penalty, We even have life saving surgery mandated for death row inmates, heart transplants, kidney transplants — you name it. What wildly obscene insanity.
On a cheerier note, my brother informs me that on the news last night it was announced that “the authorities” are expecting attacks on the national capitol and state capitols this weekend. He wonders whether that is a prelude to somebody declaring a national state of emergency and institution of martial law. Interesting question. Our discussions regarding martial law may suddenly become immediately relevant. Perhaps time to go back and review that topic again.
And re-read this topic just in case we have pseudo cops and military running around.
Left coast chuck
At my town they would have run you off the road or open fire on you and then when they stopped you they would drag you out and shot you some more and taze you drag you to there car and take you to the station and do it some more and then tell every one you fell and I don’t know what happened to him. No trust at all. Sean to many bad ones to think they would help you. Just takes one bad apple to ruin a barrel. Best not to need them at all. They think they own you and every thing in town. Hell sounds like I need to move.
Not all of them are out on patrol. Plus they are going to have security cameras that can record the suspect vehicle.
NO ONE at the police Station? I find that hard to believe. Maybe not a lot of them, but they can’t leave it totally vacant. What if someone comes in to report something, or needing help. At the very least there will be desk officers, and my guess is if you drive up and lay on your horn, SOMEONE will come out.
Just don’t ever drive home or to a relatives house: Police station, or huge area with lots of people where you don’t have to get out of your vehicle to have someone take notice of you (not like a mall)
Thank you. this is what I love about this site. common sense advice. I’ll be diligent in carrying that pest, the phone. niio
In a serious SHTF society, there will be so many fakes it will be difficult to know who is who. Heck, a long lost uncle may show up on your doorstep – or a son or daughter you never knew about from a one night stand you forgot about long ago. We’re already living in a fake society.
I would reiterate what the author stated. When pulled over, watch the door open in your rear view mirror. If you don’t see a shield and/or official writing on the door, slowly pull away and head to the nearest police or fire station. Lights in the car grill or a t-bar on the roof don’t mean jack. They re easy to install and take off and it typically is what cop wannabes or criminals use. Gettin paint off the door is a lot harder. Don’t be misled by black and white or blue and white color schemes. It still isn’t against the law to paint your car any idiot color you want.
In the PDRK now the highway patrol (predictive gave me wastrel. How appropriate) uses both black and white and all white units to add to the confusion.
The last time I was in Hawaii, which was almost 40 years ago, the Hawaii police used their personal cars with add-on light bars and lights. That was a very bad idea which I hope Hawaii has dropped in the intervening time.
How can I get a book of Darkest day’s instead of digital?
What good is digital when your phone don’t work !!!!
LCC: AZ, cars, SUVs, trucks; usually white or black, but can be another color. I saw what I thought was a utility van pull over a car. Yup, Pima co. sheriff’s dept. on the door. On the way home from Tucson, I was doing 65 in a 55 and saw the cop too late. He snapped on his bar lights and I slowed down.
With all the freaks out there, no one knows what’s going to happen. There are groups of men who like to dress up like cops and go to meetings. they have all the equipment, same style uniforms, badges, even press on magnet signs that state a police force. But, I have the new/old iron security doors, one for the back, the other for the front. they’ll go on ASAP.
We have a sneak thief in town. He checks doors and if one is unlocked, will go into a house. Pretty much everyone has a dog, tho, pit bulls are favored here. last night about 2, i heard some noise. When I stared to get up, there was a rattle and crash, then the javelina started barking warning. This morning, there were boot tracks by the truck and pig tracks all over. they treed him in the back of the truck, then took off (no street lights here).
I’m not one to argue with God, so when the odd-jobber showed up asking for work, we cleared water tanks and barrels out of the garage, and straightened it up. the truck is now locked in the garage.
You take care, we need you! niio
I think the day I am most afraid of, is the day you dial 911 and no one answers.
That’s why it is important to be prepared for when there is no 911.
Papa Pedro, I think the day I am most afraid of, is the day I reach for my 9mm and it’s not where I left it. I would rather deal with emergencies at home myself. Too much paper work after you call the police.
Oracle: And the razorbacks are always hungry for some meat, no matter what stage of decay. Lacking them, word from the old-timers always was, no one looks in the outhouse. niio
I am glad that I found this site a while back. The articles have provided me helpful information, like this one has. I like how the articles often start with the basics and allows the reader to go on from there to more. And it’s always nice to read an article and be able to say: I have all that, or I need to get this or that, or I need to learn how to do that. Thanks for helping all of us.
Shoes are another give-away. Should be black, polished boots or shoes.
Vlad, there are sheriffs, deputies, and other agency officers that ride ATV’s, motorcycles both street and offroad, and horses, and wear real riding boots, maybe not polished black, often scuffed and a bit worn. They may also have bandanas or gators to cover the neck and face from sun and wind, and well broken-in leather gloves, apparel the 4-wheel vehicle patrol officers would not normally wear. Fish and Game, and some Forest Rangers are also Law Enforcement that may be dressed for the elements they work in, not in the “polished and pressed” apparel. I recommend maintaining Situational Awareness, honestly assess your situation, trust your instincts, and then respond accordingly.
One of the funniest lines from the movie “National Security” was, if you’re looking for a crooked cop just call the police station, don’t matters who answers, they all crooked!
Good article , as it covers many points and are accurate so far as I know.. One important issue is that in most all states , there are POLICE officers , and also PEACE officers. There is a distinctive difference , and some things are similar.. Generally (NOT every state ! ) they MAY have similar powers and duties. Some peace officers are only empowered to enforce certain laws and generally most PEACE officers are ONLY empowered (maybe restricted what laws that their government ALLOWS them to enforce ) when working and in a authorized event and are uniformed.. They MAY carry different items; maybe armed or not, carry a baton or not, carry pepper spray or not …. Their uniform USUALLY with indicate if they are POLICE or PEACE officers.. YOU should know and understand the differences in YOUR location/state.
** added info ** ,.. POLICE officers are ( mostly, again) ‘on-duty’ every day, night, weekend, holiday ; meaning they are ALWAYS (24/7/365) empowered to arrest ‘on-duty’ . Also means working ( paid) in uniformed or not uniformed (not ‘working’) and can decide when where or why or when he can detain, arrest, or ( in some instances) ignore it.
Where I live the police do at times park down the street and walk to the residence