Stephenson County warns of police impersonator making traffic stops

BAILEYVILLE – The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information about a police impersonator who stopped a female motorist in rural Baileyville, north of Forreston, on May 30.

The motorist was stopped in the area of South Baileyville and East German Valley roads about 6:20 a.m., according to a Stateline Area Crime Stoppers post. The female motorist was told she was being stopped for “almost speeding” and for a registration light infraction, despite the fact that the daylight conditions at the time of the stop would have made it impossible to observe the lighting infraction.

During the course of the stop, the suspect asked for the motorist’s drivers license and insurance information, and returned both documents after briefly reviewing them at the driver’s window, according to the post.

The suspect is a heavy-set white male appearing to be 30 to 40 years old; who is 5-foot-10-inches to 6-feet tall; short, dark hair; a thick, dark-colored mustache; and bushy eyebrows, Crime Stoppers reported.

The suspect vehicle is a white SUV with a yellow stripe on the side, a black brush guard mounted on the front of the vehicle and a light bar mounted on top in a manner in which it extends past both front doors, according to the post.

The light bar was not activated at the time of the stop; however, red and blue lights mounted on the front grill of the suspect vehicle were activated, according to Crime Stoppers.

If anyone has any information this case, they should contact the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office or Stateline Area Crime Stoppers. Tips can be submitted to Stateline Area Crime Stoppers by phone by calling 1-866-TIPS NOW, through the Stateline Area Crime Stoppers “P3 Tips” mobile phone app, or online at: www.statelineareacrimestoppers.com.

Tipsters to Stateline Area Crime Stoppers always remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward up to $1,000.

The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office case number for this investigation is: 23-6114.

The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office shared the Crime Stoppers post on its Facebook page. The page responded to a comment on the post in which an individual requested to know the best protocol when one is pulled over by unmarked vehicles.

“If a motorist is suspicious about a vehicle that is attempting to stop them, our advice is to reduce the vehicle speed substantially and drive to a well lit and populated area before stopping,” the sheriff’s office wrote. “If a motorist is suspicious as to the identity of the law enforcement officer making the stop; they should call 911 because law enforcement safety protocol is for all traffic stops to be called in over the radio.”

If the motorist calls 911, the legitimate law enforcement’s Communications Division personnel easily will be able to determine if the vehicle making the stop is official or a police impersonator, the sheriff’s office wrote.

“Please be advised that unmarked law enforcement vehicles are commonly used throughout our area and will normally be equipped with a wide array of flashing red/blue lights for safety [visibility] reasons,” the sheriff’s office wrote. “Typically, police impersonators will use a single flashing light on the front-end, which contrasts to law enforcement vehicles who will likely have red/blue lights on the front, sides, and back of the vehicle.”