The Sacramento Police Department wants to advise the community what to do if they are unsure of the legitimacy of an unmarked police vehicle attempting to pull them over. 

Over the last two weeks, officers have come in contact with two vehicles that could have been used to impersonate police cars.  In one incident, the vehicle was outfitted with lights across the top of the windshield and was used to pull over a vehicle occupied by two females.  It occurred early in the morning on March 27, 2010, at Northfield and Northview Drives. The victim yielded to what appeared to be an unmarked police vehicle.  When the driver exited, the interior light illuminated the presence of five other occupants in the vehicle, which alerted the victim that this was not law enforcement. She quickly drove away and called the police.  This vehicle was later located by police and is photographed below. The investigation is ongoing. 

In another incident, officers pulled over a vehicle for speeding that had lights in the dashboard and along the rear deck.  There is no indication that these incidents are related but they were both Ford Crown Victoria vehicles. 

Because citizen safety is a high priority, we want the community to know there are a few things they can do, if they are concerned about yielding to an unmarked police vehicle. When you are being pulled over, you can slow down but not stop until you are in a well-lit and well- populated area. You can also call the dispatch center on your cell phone, advise them where you are and that you are concerned about the unmarked vehicle behind you. The dispatcher will either confirm that it is in fact law enforcement or they will send officers to investigate. 

The Sacramento Police Department urges anyone with information pertaining to this crime to contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.