HOUSTON – While police impersonators have been around since officers have worn uniforms, police agencies across the country say alleged impersonators are becoming more sophisticated and tougher to spot.
There is a squad of investigators specifically assigned to finding and stopping people who pose as police inside the Houston Police Department’s Major Offenders Division.
Houstonian John Saccone said he had an encounter with police impersonators back in October of 2010.
"When you see flashing lights behind you, you immediately pull over and do the right thing," Saccone said.
Saccone found out seconds later the men who pulled him over were not officers. He told police they wanted to rob him.
"The next thing I knew I was in cuffs. He said I need to put you in cuffs and search your car," Saccone said.
HPD showed KHOU 11 News photos of the evidence from Saccone’s incident. Police said Sanel Bulic and Alex Kenefick were carrying guns, handcuffs, badges, duct tape, and they even had a flashing emergency light bar mounted inside their vehicle.
HPD’s police impersonator squad has been around since the early 1990s. It consists of four investigators and each of them works a few cases each month. The squad averages 220 cases a year.
They told us one of the cases they are aggressively working this month involves a man caught on surveillance video inside a jewelry store in Sharpstown. Investigators said they do not know who he is, but he was captured on video back in March trying to sell a unique cross inside a business at the Jewelry Center.
Detectives said the cross, along with cash and credit cards, were taken by police impersonators driving a Crown Victoria on March 14.
If you have any information about the person of interest, detectives would like to hear from you.
HPD’s Major Offenders Division can be reached at 713-308-3100.
If you suspect you are being pulled over by an imposter here are some helpful tips that could save your life:
- Try to stop in a well-lit area where there are a lot of people present.
- Turn on your emergency flashers, but don't turn off your car.
- If they are not in an official uniform, ask for identification.
- Call 911 and verify with a dispatcher to make sure the police are pulling you over.
