{"id":10680,"date":"2022-01-27T12:35:29","date_gmt":"2022-01-27T12:35:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/fear-of-fake-cops-spreads-among-motorists"},"modified":"2022-01-27T15:46:04","modified_gmt":"2022-01-27T15:46:04","slug":"fear-of-fake-cops-spreads-among-motorists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/fear-of-fake-cops-spreads-among-motorists","title":{"rendered":"Fear of fake cops spreads among motorists"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Namibia. <\/strong><\/span>WINDHOEK drivers say they fear becoming the victims of criminals posing as police officers.<\/b><\/p>\n

This comes after a 27-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted by three men dressed in full police uniform. They were also using a car with blue and red flashing lights, and were ostensibly conducting a roadblock along Florence Nightingale Street and the B1 road on Sunday at around 18h00.<\/p>\n

Police spokesperson chief inspector Elifas Kuwinga told The Namibian that the complainant was on her way home with her baby, and was requested to present her driving licence.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen she tried to reach for her driving licence, one of the alleged police officers hit her with an unknown object on the head and then she fainted. They removed her from the car, as well as her baby and drove away with her car,\u201d Kuwinga said.<\/p>\n

The white Volkswagen Polo TSI with a Walvis Bay registration was later found stripped in Katutura’s Goreangab area, next to the government farm, said Kuwinga.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the parts such as the headlights, two side mirrors and the battery were removed.\u201d<\/p>\n

No arrests or recovery of the stolen items have been made, Kuwinga said. The victim told The Namibian that she prefers to have her personal details withheld.<\/p>\n

\u201cI prefer not to have my picture and name in the article for safety reasons,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

After hearing about the incident, Windhoek resident Evart Amwele said he’d prefer to drive straight to the police station instead of stopping along the road, while Windhoek driver Immanuel Nambinga pointed out that Namibian Police officers often get very defensive when asked to identify themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cKnowing the Namibian Police very well, for my safety I prefer to drive straight to the police station if stopped by the police, most especially if they look suspicious. We need to be very cautious in analysing police officers, from what they are wearing to what car they are driving,\u201d Nambinga said.<\/p>\n

Khomas regional commander Ismael Basson cautioned motorists to be aware of this tactic often used by criminals in neighbouring South Africa. \u201cThey have even duplicated police vehicles and uniforms,\u201d Basson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cShould a someone attempt to pull you over and you are not sure or don’t feel safe, we would advise you to put on your hazard lights to acknowledge that you see them and then signal them to follow you, and proceed to the nearest police station, fuel station or anywhere in public you can safely pull over and deal with the situation at hand in front of witnesses,\u201d Basson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have the right to defend and protect yourself as a citizen, and should you be stopped at any checkpoint, you have the right to request identification from any persons presenting themselves as officers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Namibian Police spokesperson Kauna Shikwambi said those who impersonate police officers usually do so with the purpose of using such authority to commit offences.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch a person falsely pretends to be a member of the force by using a combination of techniques such as wearing any form of police clothing or uniform, which may include a uniform badge or anything that is designated to be worn by a police officer,\u201d she said. Criminals also impersonate police officers by placing lights, logos, or other equipment on a personal vehicle to masquerade as a police vehicle.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt must be known that, genuine\/real police officers will identify themselves because our policies require that a member identify him\/herself through a police appointment certificate. A member of the public must ask for that and always compare the physical facial appearance,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She added that police officers will be in full uniform, even when manning a checkpoint and in most cases a branded police vehicle will be in the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe vigilant and observe the situation thoroughly. Note the branding on the vehicle and see if the stickers and lights are a permanent fix,\u201d she said, urging the public to contact police stations or known police officers to report or confirm the identification of police officers.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Namibia<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Namibia. WINDHOEK drivers say they fear becoming the victims of criminals posing as police officers. This comes after a 27-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted by three men dressed in full police uniform. They were also using a car with blue and red flashing lights, and were ostensibly conducting a roadblock along Florence Nightingale […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":10679,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,8,12,16],"tags":[234,236,233],"class_list":["post-10680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-homepage-english","category-policy","category-twitter","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-namibia","tag-namibia"],"yoast_head":"\nFear of fake cops spreads among motorists - Namibia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"WINDHOEK drivers say they fear becoming the victims of criminals posing as police officers. 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