Fake cops ticketed after iPhone prank

SCARBOROUGH — Some smartphone apps claim to boost productivity, but its certain none will cop to producing a municipal fine.

However, two Westbrook men were summonsed in Scarborough last week for having a little too much fun with their iPhones.

At approximately 9 p.m. on Aug. 17, Dane A. Tupper, 20, and Bradley J. Stiles, 19, were summonsed with impersonating a public servant, a class E crime punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

“They had this iPhone app that emitted red and blue flashing lights, and each held them up in the windshield,” explained Detective Sgt. Rick Rouse, on Monday.

After dark, the two lights looked enough like what one might expect from a police cruiser that one man promptly pulled over. Tupper and Stiles pulled up behind the motorist, only to take off again without carrying their game any further.

However, the confused motorists – made moreso by the silver, 2004 Dodge Stratus that sped by him – was prescient enough to take down the license plate number on the pretend police car.

Tupper and Stiles were ticketed at 9:21 p.m. on Gallery Boulevard.

Although the men appear to have been up to what many might see as a harmless prank, Rouse said impersonating a police officer is no laughing matter. Someone with more sinister motives could take advantage of a motorist fooled into pulling over and lowering a window.

Rouse gives these tips to protect yourself, if you suspect the officer attempting to stop you is less than the genuine article:

•First, look to see if the vehicle signaling you to pull over is a marked police cruiser.

• If the vehicle is unmarked, or if you cannot tell, look for the officer to be wearing a uniform.

“It is rare that a plainclothes officer would be making a traffic stop whether the car is marked or not,” explains Rouse. 

• If you are suspicious, turn on your hazard lights (to signal to the officer that you are aware of his or her presence) and slowly continue to a well-lit or populated area.

• If you have a cell phone, call the police department and let the dispatcher know your concern. 

• Once you have stopped, leave your motor running. Stay in the vehicle and lock your doors. Ask for identification if you do not observe an obvious police uniform and calmly explain why you are asking.

“Any real officer will understand and act cordially,” Rouse said.