For Immediate Release: March 4th 2004

            It is midnight and you are driving your vehicle down an isolated back road. Suddenly you look in your rear view mirror and see a flashing blue light on the vehicle behind you trying to get you to pull over. What do you do? Your first instinct is to pull over. Your gut feeling tells you that something just isn’t right.

            If you are confronted with this situation, follow your gut instinct. It may not be safe to pull over so suddenly. All across the nation there have been (and still are) people who imitate law enforcement officers. These people are definitely up to no good. Someone who is impersonating an officer by using blue lights on their vehicle to perform traffic stops do not want to get caught. Their lights are usually kept to a minimum while trying not to attract attention to them. If they’re caught, they could face major fines and jail time.

            What should you do if you’re caught in this situation? First of all, do not panic and try to outrun the vehicle behind you. This can be very dangerous since higher speeds could result in a crash. Reduce your speed slightly and turn on your hazard lights to acknowledge their presence. If you are absolutely sure that the vehicle behind you is a legitimate law enforcement officer, use your cell phone to call 911. The dispatcher can verify that the vehicle behind you is actually an officer by answering the questions they ask you. They will have radio contact with the officer behind you. If you are still not satisfied, request the dispatcher to send another marked vehicle to the stop. If the vehicle is confirmed to be an impersonator, remain on the line with the dispatcher who will immediately send a patrol car to you in an effort to catch the imposter.

            If you do no have a cell phone, drive to a safe place. A well-lit and populated area is much better than a dark back road. Park in front of or as close to the front doors of a store that is open for business rather than off to the side of the parking lot. The object is to see and be seen by others.

            Be alert of your surroundings. When you’re stopped, try to get a good look ay the vehicle stopping you. Does the vehicle have lights on the inside of the vehicle or does it have a light bar on the outside (on the roof)? Are there any markings on the side of the vehicle? An official law enforcement vehicle will also have an audible siren. Again, people who impersonate law enforcement do not want to get caught. It would be a safe bet that if the vehicle stopping you has a roof mounted light bar with blue lights and a siren is a legitimate law enforcement officer. There are still agencies around Georgia (including Hall County) using “slicktops” (no external light bar mounted on the roof). These vehicles will have more than enough flashing lights; you can guarantee that everyone will see these vehicles, especially at night.

            Currently, under Georgia Law, vehicles equipped with blue lights capable of flashing or revolving must have a special permit from the Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle Safety. Anyone caught having them with out permit could face fines and penalties. If anyone has knowledge of any non-law enforcement vehicle utilizing blue lights for enforcement purposes, please make note of the vehicle description and tag number and notify law enforcement immediately.

Printed in Gainesville Times Thursday 03-04-04

Senior Sergeant Kiley Sargent

Traffic Enforcement Unit

Uniform Patrol Division