While people have pretended to be cops long before, the problem of fake cops took flight during the crack days of the 1980’s, when thieves would rob drug dealers by pretending to be police busting them. The “brilliance” of the scheme was that the victims of the robbery couldn’t run to the cops to complain, since the thieves stole their drugs and drug money.

Since then, others have come to realize the beauty of pretending to be cops in order to commit crimes, ranging from theft to rape. They use the submission to authority that most people share as a wedge to get the victims to do as they’re told, even when it means giving over their money or engaging in a sex act. At some point, the victims likely realized that these weren’t really police, but by then there was little they could do.

The problem got so bad that some police departments, particularly when using vehicles that were low profile or displayed no insignia, would inform the public that if people questioned whether they were being pulled over by a police officer or a pretender, they should drive to a populated location, or the local police station, before stopping.  It sounded like a thoughtful idea.

The issue arose in Detroit, where two men “impersonating police officers” robbed and pistol-whipped people at a Citgo gas station.

But this fake cop robbery had a new twist, one that turns the conundrum upside down.

“Several unidentified police officers were working this particular robbery  case, recognized one of the suspects in the photographs as being a member of the  Detroit Police Department,” Chief James Craig said Monday.

Now under arrest are two police sergeants, a 47-year-old officer and 20-year  veteran of the Detroit Police Department and his 42-year-old buddy from the  police academy, who is a former DPD cop and 17-year veteran of the St. Clair  Shores Police Department. The later recently received a distinguished service  award.

“In fact, they were police officers, just not working on-duty at the time,”  Craig said.

So the fake cops turn out to be real cops, just off duty, pretending to be real cops, but on duty, so they can rob people? And the victims are supposed to figure this out how?

Via Information Liberation, the situation gets worse:

There were at least two reports of men posing as police officers and robbing unsuspecting drivers at gunpoint. The men had police badges, bullet proof vests and guns. They looked very official and police considered them armed and dangerous.

A second incident happened near Harper and 3 Mile Drive. A man says he was pulled over by three men in a unmarked Crown Victoria. The man was searched and while he answered questions, his wallet and CDs were stolen.

A rash of such robberies gives rise to a public that has very good reason to begin doubting that cops are cops, that they should allow themselves to be put in a position, alone, away from other people, perhaps at night, where terrible things can happen to them by people committing crimes while displaying a shield. Getting one’s hands on a shield just isn’t all that hard.

While there isn’t much to be done about the fact that criminals will pretend to be cops to take advantage of our desire to comply with orders rather than suffer a beating, an arrest or worse, given that the nature of criminals is that they commit crimes, this gives rise to an expectation of police officers that they recognize that just because they yell “Police” doesn’t make them cops, and the failure to do as they command the second they command it may not be a matter of “contempt,” but preservation.

So, what can you do? Even police say you have permission not to stop if you don’t believe a real police officer is trying to pull you over. Instead, call 911 and ask the dispatcher for assistance. If all else fails, drive to the nearest precinct.

That’s the official response to the rash of Detroit fake cop robberies. As is pointed out at Information Liberation, though in a somewhat more extreme way than I might make the point, the advice is fine, but “that is if the police actually tolerate it (which I find it hard to believe they would).”

It’s a critical point, as real cops expect immediate compliance with their commands, and may not take well to the idea of people ignoring their lights and sirens. While some may be understanding, others will get pretty angry about it and may well take it out on the person who does nothing more than follow the “official” advice. Even if charges are subsequently dropped because of it, it won’t make the pain of the beating you earned by resisting go away.

The alternative to acting in a self-protective manner is to leave one open to robbery or rape by either a phony cop or an off-duty sergeant.  Which one sounds like more fun to you?  Despite the fact that this conundrum has been ongoing for decades now, there has been essentially no effort on the part of law enforcement to address the problem, aside from arresting the miscreants, and no shortage of examples of people paying dearly at the end of a club or taser, or worse, for their failure to jump as high as a cop demands.