A former Queensland police officer has warned Australians to verify the identity of anyone claiming to be a police officer after two men allegedly used fake police credentials to enter a home.
CCTV footage captured the pair approaching the Queensland property, with one man wearing what appeared to be a police uniform. A young boy answered the door before the men demanded entry.
The intruders fled with a safe and a hard drive and remain on the run.
Jules Munro, a former Queensland police officer, said police impersonation was uncommon but urged people not to assume that anyone claiming to be an officer was genuine.
“This is a very uncommon thing to see, but it’s why we need to talk about it,” she said.
Munro said criminals who impersonated police could exploit the public’s natural instinct to trust officers, leaving victims feeling particularly vulnerable.
“There’s an element to impersonation and criminal activity that really leaves you feeling very vulnerable, feeling very silly,” she said.
She said people should feel comfortable asking for identification or other verification before allowing someone into their home, particularly when the visit was unexpected or took place in the middle of the night.
Genuine officers attending an urgent, unplanned visit would be “very clearly identifiable”, Munro said, adding that they would be wearing reflective vests and their full utility equipment.
