WEST WINDSOR, N.J. (PIX11) - First responders can be some of the most trustworthy figures in our communities, but some will try to impersonate them to commit other crimes.
"While these people are suffering in California dealing with the loss of lives and the loss of their property, you actually have people put on first responder uniforms - in this case it was fire people, fire responders - for the purpose of going into houses that are not burned down or have burned down and looking for valuables," said New Jersey Sen. Joe Pennacchio (R-26th District).
The LA County Sheriff's Department arrested a man in the Malibu area last month for allegedly dressing as a firefighter and attempting to burglarize evacuated homes. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, Sen. Pennacchio is introducing a bill along with Sen. Carmen Amato (R-9th District) that would create a new offense of impersonating a first responder while committing another crime.
"There's already a law I believe on the books for the impersonating police," said Pennacchio. "This just increases the scope if they do commit other crimes while impersonating a firefighter or a police officer. It diminishes the faith that we have in these responders."
West Windsor Police Chief Robert Garofalo, a police officer of three and a half decades, says someone impersonating a cop may try to pull you over. If you're not sure if they're a real officer, he says to call 911.
"They're going to connect you and you're going to say, 'I'm being pulled over right now, do you know if this person is a police officer or not?'" said Garofalo.
He says to pull over into a well-lit area, but don't keep on driving for too long, or else a real cop may think you're trying to escape.
In the case of a firefighter in question, "You can call the police department and see if you can get a hold of somebody from the fire department," said Garofalo. "You can check their credentials if they have any on them, but usually they're only in their fire apparatus and turnout gear. Usually there's a fire chief on scene, if it's a major incident. Ask to speak to somebody in charge, ask to speak to someone before you let people into your house."
Pennacchio hopes to see the bill in committee soon.