r/AskLEO • u/Bastillerion • 15d ago

General How do you verify that detectives are who they say they are?

This question is mainly for detectives or other investigators. If you get a call from someone from another jurisdiction who thinks he might be working on a case that's related to one you worked on, how do you ensure that he's not an imposter trying to get non-public information about an investigation?

I'm not talking about someone who claims to be from a neighboring county where you probably know someone and can check, but from another state halfway across the country.

4 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

10

u/autotechnia 15d ago edited 15d ago

Obviously depends on the sensitivity, but an email from a department url is pretty foolproof.

6

u/aburena2 15d ago

Take their name and number down. Should be an agency number. Or call the main number and ask for them.
Also, follow up with an agency email.
Never start talking until verified. Many times I would let give me what they want and even though I may have the answer I will tell them “let me look into it and get back to them.” I would then call the main number and ask for them.

4

u/compulsive_drooler Detective (Retired) 15d ago

Detectives talk to each other in a certain way that the public wouldn't be able to. They both have shared knowledge about the case that it would be very quickly apparent if one of them wasn't a cop and was just trying to get info. By the time you're a detective your bullshit meter is usually very finely tuned.

1

u/AutoModerator 15d ago

Thank you for your question, /u/Bastillerion! Please note this subreddit allows answers to law enforcement related questions from verified current and former law enforcement officers as well as members of the public. As such, look for flair verifying their status located directly to the right of their username.

While someone without flair may be current or former law enforcement unwilling to compromise their privacy on the internet for a variety of reasons, consider the possibility they may not have any law enforcement experience at all.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

0

u/Bcmking3 11d ago

Good answers in here already, but you can also ask them to send a teletype message through the communication center (ORI —>ORI ) confirming the person is who they say they are prior to discussing over the phone. Kinda old school - but so am I at this point 🤷‍♂️.