Safety advice offered amid police impersonator reports

Mar. 20—There have been multiple reports recently of someone impersonating an officer in Northwest Missouri, and officials have advice for how drivers should handle these situations.

Maj. Trevor Ballard with the Clinton County Sheriff's Office said there were two reports this month of someone conducting traffic stops and impersonating an officer. The investigation of those incidents remains open.

"Our two detectives are working along with detectives from other jurisdictions to make sure that they're covering all the bases," Ballard said. "We're going to try to get this person located because it's a scary situation for everybody involved."

No one was harmed during either of the incidents, Ballard said. He said they believe the impersonator has been using a dark-colored Jeep or a light-colored Mazda Tribute or Ford Escape.

Someone also was reported to be conducting traffic stops in DeKalb County in mid-February, according to the DeKalb County Missouri Sheriff's Office Facebook page. Ballard said it's not known if the incidents are related.

Sgt. Shane Hux with Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop H said there are no reports of someone impersonating an officer in St. Joseph. He stresses that while most of the time it is a real law enforcement officer conducting a traffic stop, if something doesn't feel right, there are things drivers can do to stay safe.

"State law in the state of Missouri requires you, if you do observe red and blue lights, you do have to pull over as far to the right side of the roadway as possible," Hux said. "At that time, when an officer approaches your vehicle, one clue to me is, what kind of uniform are they wearing?"

If a driver doesn't recognize the uniform worn by the officer, Hux said to lock car doors, roll the window down just enough to talk to the officer and ask them to move to a public place. There is nothing wrong with asking the officer for their name, badge number and department, he said.

Ballard said if something doesn't feel right, call 911 and verify the person is a legitimate deputy, police officer or trooper.

"If the officer is legitimate, they're not going to get upset that they're trying to verify who you are, who you say you are," Ballard said. " ... You will be able to tell very quickly an actual, genuine law enforcement officer because they conduct themselves in a professional manner at these traffic stops."

In Clinton County, Ballard said drivers who don't feel comfortable can turn on their hazard lights, slow down and continue driving to a well-lit area. Clinton County deputies will recognize the driver is going to a more public area. However, Ballard said he cannot speak for other agencies. Hux said if someone doesn't pull over for a state trooper, highway patrol officers may initiate a pursuit.

Many agencies do use some form of unmarked vehicles. While most of their vehicles have clear signage, Hux said some Troop H vehicles show no signs of being a law enforcement car. They even have civilian license plates.

The Clinton County Sheriff's Department has a couple of unmarked vehicles as well, but Ballard said there are tells to know it's a law enforcement vehicle. These include antennas on the top, tracer lights underneath the vehicle, a spotlight on the front and a license plate with clear insignia. He said there are no Jeeps, so if one gets pulled over by one, that is a red flag.

Ballard said he knows this only adds another layer of fear for drivers and wants to catch the culprit to be able to instill confidence back in the public.

"In our area, it's a rare occurrence that it happens. It's not an everyday thing," Ballard said. "But when it does happen, we take it very seriously because (we're) trying to have the public make sure that they're trusting in their law enforcement and we're looking out for their needs."

Ballard said if anyone has information that could aid in the investigation, go to clintoncosheriff.org or call 816-539-2156 to report a tip. If someone sees a false officer, call 911.

Morgan Doyle can be reached at morgan.doyle@newspressnow.com