Fake police officer ordered woman to stop on motorway - no action

CaveMum · 07/05/2024 07:34

I’ve just read this, it’s horrifying! It’s really a toss up between “we don’t care” and “we’re inept at our jobs”, but either way heads should roll.

MissyB1 · 07/05/2024 07:37

Literally just been reading it. How terrifying! And the guy is free to do it again, and probably will 😡

Iamnotalemming · 07/05/2024 07:38

Disgusting.

Original poster

SerendipityJane · 07/05/2024 07:41

Next time (because there will be) Instead of going to the police just paste the reg. no. into an FB group

OP posts:

Delphin · 07/05/2024 08:17

She has shared her story with family and friends: “Many women have said that because he appeared to be a police officer, they would have stopped.”

Don't. An unmarked police car (at least in western Europe) still has everything on board a police car needs. Lights (magnetic), stop bar, etc. If it seems to be a speeding case or anything like that, there is no reason a police officer wouldnt use the appropriate tools.

Peskysquirrel · 07/05/2024 09:23

I've just read this. I am honestly incredulous.

This incident happened after the MET told women to 'flag down a bus' if they thought a police officer might not be genuine.
And after the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire told women they needed to be 'streetwise about when they can be arrested and when they can’t be arrested'.

I mean FFS. Do they have any idea what it's like to live in the real world as a woman? There is no way my mum or MIL, for example, would ever challenge a police officer.

So many failures in the investigation of this case. It's chilling. Does women's safety mean nothing?

AIstolemylunch · 07/05/2024 09:34

God thats horrifying. I think i probably would have pulled over. This is after Couzens and they initially treated it as a complaint against a police officer?!? Even if he had have been a police officer (like cousens was) he shouldn't have behaved like that right?

unintended101 · 07/05/2024 09:50

So they know who it was? It's not like they're looking for a mystery guy. And they still do nothing. Why was he allowed to keep his badge??

wtf. Be wary of ALL police.

Blackcats7 · 07/05/2024 10:05

I read this earlier and could not believe the huge incompetence, lack of concern, lack of communication with the forces more interested in whose “patch” the crime was reported in than anything else.
Clearly the police as a whole are unable and unwilling to learn and change. Women remain a low priority. I hope this woman sues the arse of them and that individuals concerned are held to account rather than the usual fob off but I won’t hold my breath.

AuditAngel · 07/05/2024 10:10

Someone impersonated a police officer on the A3 about 35 years ago and tried to force me to stop in a very secluded area. Fortunately for me, my dad was a special constable and had educated me about being pulled over.

my sister reported it on my behalf and the police, even then, didn’t bother speaking to me about it. This is nothing new, we didn’t even have mobile phones then to call the police from the car.

Boiledbeetle · 07/05/2024 10:40

Another fine example of how the police seemingly don't actually give a shiny shit about doing their job properly or the safety of women.

She appears to have given them enough information that they could have dealt with the whole thing in under 24 hours had they actually given a toss.

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 07/05/2024 10:51

Peskysquirrel · 07/05/2024 09:23

I've just read this. I am honestly incredulous.

This incident happened after the MET told women to 'flag down a bus' if they thought a police officer might not be genuine.
And after the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire told women they needed to be 'streetwise about when they can be arrested and when they can’t be arrested'.

I mean FFS. Do they have any idea what it's like to live in the real world as a woman? There is no way my mum or MIL, for example, would ever challenge a police officer.

So many failures in the investigation of this case. It's chilling. Does women's safety mean nothing?

This

Elebag · 07/05/2024 10:56

It's almost as if the police haven't learnt a thing over the last three years.

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 07/05/2024 10:57

As an aside and whilst not relevant to this discussion, she admits she was speeding and doing about 80mph . Which when you throw in the way he was driving and trying to distract her there could have been a really nasty accident too.

Peskysquirrel · 07/05/2024 11:24

Aside from the police incompetence (which is a MASSIVE FUCKING ISSUE) the risks involved in pulling over on the motorway are much higher for women.

The awful, awful case of Marie Wilks is just on the edge of my memory. Even though we have mobile phones now and the guy wasn't a policeman in that case, it's always at the back of my mind when motorway driving.

Quote from the police: "You were left feeling distressed following a male’s actions and this should have been investigated as a crime from the outset."

Ya think??

ArabellaScott · 07/05/2024 11:32

Speechless.

Original poster

SerendipityJane · 07/05/2024 11:37

I fear stories like this are also giving a green light to men to knock out a copper on the basis they don't trust the ID. If a court accepts they had a genuine fear for their safety, it could get very nasty.

OP posts:

MyWhoHa · 07/05/2024 12:50

@Peskysquirrel

I remember the Marie Wilkes case. If the police want you to stop they have to put their blue lights on.

WeaselCheeks · 08/05/2024 08:55

Peskysquirrel · 07/05/2024 11:24

Aside from the police incompetence (which is a MASSIVE FUCKING ISSUE) the risks involved in pulling over on the motorway are much higher for women.

The awful, awful case of Marie Wilks is just on the edge of my memory. Even though we have mobile phones now and the guy wasn't a policeman in that case, it's always at the back of my mind when motorway driving.

Quote from the police: "You were left feeling distressed following a male’s actions and this should have been investigated as a crime from the outset."

Ya think??

Edited

There are many, many fucking awful things about the Marie Wilks case, but the fact that the guy who most likely did it only served 5.5 years before being released (but not declared innocent) because the police fucked up the handling of evidence is just... eugh. He got £600,000 in compensation, and went on to get caught with a knife a couple of times and chased his wife with a chainsaw.

Original poster

SerendipityJane · 08/05/2024 09:18

He got £600,000 in compensation,

Well we've done away with compensation for wrongful convictions now, thank goodness. Better poor and innocent than locked up though.

OP posts:

marmaladeandpeanutbutter · 08/05/2024 09:27

What does the law say? Does anyone have a reliable link about what police are able to ask of you?