Crime & Safety

Robbers Pose As Police Officers, Steal Cash from Driver

Flashing lights convinced a driver he was being pulled over by police, instead he and his passenger were robbed in Rye Brook this morning.

Flashing lights convinced a driver he was being pulled over by police, instead he and his passenger were robbed in Rye Brook this morning.

Around 4 a.m., two men were driving on Rock Ridge Road when a white Ford Taurus with red and blue lights pulled up behind their car.  When they pulled over, two white men from the car came to their window and started questioning them in a manner that made them believe they were being stopped by police, according to Rye Brook Chief Gregory Austin. 

The driver and his passenger obediently handed over their wallets and waited while the two official-sounding, but plainly dressed men went back to the Taurus and appeared to check them out. Eventually the fake enforcers came back to the car, returned the wallets and told the men to leave. It was then, the driver and passengers realized $50 was missing from one of their wallets.

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Chief Austin said that at this time the police are actively investigating the case and that he did not know of any similar incidents. 

"Always ask for identification," advised Chief Austin. Real police officers will show identification. Austin said the suspects, described as two white males in their 20s, were not wearing uniforms and did not identify themselves as police officers. The victims complied because of the flashing lights on their car and their behavior.

Find out what's happening in Ryewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

To protect yourself from police impersonators, the website Realistic Safety Solutions offers the following suggestions: 

  • Turn on your hazard lights and slowly drive to a well-lit, public area before stopping. 
  • If you have a cell phone, call 911 and verify the stop with the police dispatcher. Through a slightly opened window, tell the officer you will comply with instructions and that you are making the call.
  • Respectfully ask the officer for badge and photo identification that shows which agency they represent.
  • Call 911 if you see what appears to be a suspicious stop.


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