After having exhausted other leads, police are turning to the public in the hopes of identifying a man believed to have impersonated a police officer.
The request stems from a “disturbing” incident that happened about 6 p.m. on Sept. 26.
It was then that a Duncan woman was approached in her driveway by a man sporting what looked to be a police uniform: a yellow stripe on the trousers, shoulder flash on a long sleeved grey shirt, and a gun belt.
He was not wearing body armour, or a name tag and did not have a radio with him but had driven up in a black, four-door car with tinted windows that looked similar to a police vehicle in terms of make and model.
“He drove into her driveway and began to make inquiries as if he was conducting an investigation,” according to a press release issued by North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Krista Hobday.
“This is very disturbing, to hear that a person is out there pretending to be a police officer,” Hobday said.
Police said the man made inappropriate comments to the homeowner about her appearance and asked her personal questions.
The man left when he was told there were other people inside the home.
Hobday said the man’s actions didn’t jive with police protocol.
“This is not the way we conduct ourselves when making neighbourhood inquiries regarding an ongoing investigation,” said the release, explaining what a real officer would do. “We identify ourselves, offer our business card to the person we are speaking to, and have a radio and other identifying pieces of equipment.
“We do not know what this man’s intentions were but we fear it may have been to gain access into this woman’s home and harm her,” said Hobday.
Police encourage citizens to be diligent when identifying someone before giving out personal information or allowing them into their homes.
The suspect is a Caucasian man believed to be between the ages of 30 and 40. He was clean shaven and had short dark hair at the time and stands about six feet tall and weighs in at about 230 pounds.
The woman approached was able to describe the suspect to a composite artist and that rendering has been released to the public in the hopes somebody might be able to identify him.
Those who recognize the man should contact the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) to maintain anonymity.