Safety Resources & Tips

Officer Impersonation & What To Do

The Rabun County Sheriff's Office suggests the following actions on how to proceed if you suspect you're being pulled over by someone impersonating an officer.

Many law enforcement agencies, including the Rabun County Sheriff's Office, utilize a variety of vehicles, some of which are unmarked and do not resemble traditional police cars. If a citizen believes they are being stopped by a vehicle displaying emergency lights that might not be a legitimate law enforcement vehicle, the recommended course of action is as follows:

1. Turn on your vehicle's four-way flashers or “hazard lights.”
2. Turn on your car's interior dome light (if at night) or roll down your window and signal to the officer behind you that you are proceeding forward.
3. Proceed at a normal rate of speed to a well-lit, populated area such as a shopping center, etc., where there are people present.
4. While doing so, safely dial 911 and inform dispatch of your location and your vehicle description, explain the situation and inquire as to whether or not any of their officers are attempting to stop you.
5. If the dispatcher advises you that the stop is legitimate, stop as soon as you safely can, follow the officer's instructions, and then calmly explain the reason for your actions.
6. If the dispatcher advises you that the stop is not legitimate, stay on the phone with them until a local patrol unit can catch up to you while continuing at a normal rate of speed. Do not stop until what you know to be a legitimate officer is on the scene. Remain in your vehicle and follow the instructions of the legitimate officer.

Bear in mind that dispatch may not have radio contact with officers from all agencies that may have occasion to be in that jurisdiction, who might also have a legal reason to conduct a traffic stop. This shouldn't change your course of action; it is simply an issue that will have to be verified once the local jurisdiction is on scene.