Over the past few weeks there have several reports of two people posing as plain clothes police officers in the local area.
They will approach members of the public and state they are plain clothes officers and need to search them. Without the victim realising, they will hand back purses and wallets emptied of cash and credit cards.
Staff and students should be aware that police officers are not allowed to take any personal belongings, and if anybody is stopped by people posing as police officers they are to do the following:
- Ask to see their warrant card. When on duty either in uniform or plain clothes police officers must at all time carry their warrant card
- Ask what station they are attached to and then call “101” from any phone to confirm the identity of the officer
- Once the identity has been confirmed, then and only then allow the officer to carry out a search.
- Any person who has been unfortunate enough to have been challenged by these two posing as officers are to contact the police immediately.
See a sample of the police warrant card officers are required to carry at all times here
If staff have any queries regarding this issue, please contact Darren Barrow, Senior Security Officer