Members of the public can demand for authority cards when stopped by the police, said Selangor police chief Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah.

He said under the law, they had the right to demand the authority cards from police to avoid being duped by impersonators.

Tun Hisan, however, stressed that the cases of impersonating policemen in the state to extort money or commit other crimes was still under control.

"Criminals nowadays are using various means and tactics to hoodwink the public namely by impersonating as policemen. As such, people should demand for the authority cards, if they find something suspicious," he told reporters after having a meeting with members of the People's Volunteer Corps (Rela) and Civil Defence Department at the Selangor police contingent headquarters near Shah Alam today.

Tun Hisan said this when responding to a news report today that police had arrested four suspects including two accomplices on Tuesday for impersonating police officers to rob and rape a woman in Klang.

One of the accomplice was a Rela member who had lent his handcuffs to the impersonators.  

Genuine police wear tidy uniforms

               

Tun Hisan said public could easily identify genuine police officers as they have good personality like wearing good and tidy uniforms compared to impersonators.

He also urged the public to report cases of impersonating policemen via the Suspicious, Activity and Report (SAR) approach.

Meanwhile, Selangor Rela director Brigadier-General Khairi Mohd Alwee said Rela members are usually not equipped with handcuffs.

"Our members are not supposed to be equipped with handcuffs as it is considered a weapon," he said, adding that members were only given a baton-like stick.

- Bernama