How Can Expats Protect Themselves From Police Impostors?

cccmedia wrote:

How can Expats handle a situation like this in order to stop trouble from police impostors?

My strategy: Not moving to countries where this is a realistic possibility.
For me, peace of mind is an important value.
Sorry, I have nothing else to add to this discussion.

Suggestion #1:  what Beppi said.  If this is not feasible,

Suggestion #2:  live in a building with 24-hour security;  if this doesn't fit your lifestyle choices,

Suggestion #3:  have steel doors with bulletproof glass/security cameras, and don't open them for anyone without seeing a credible ID.  If this is not acceptable,

Return to Suggestion  #1.

I want to (and so far mostly did) live in a place where neighbours and friends can come at any time, even when I'm not at home, and where strangers are potential friends - not potential enemies.
In other words, only high trust locations are acceptable for me. (And I found that there are more of them than you would think, even in poorer countries!)
Therefore, only Suggestion #1 for me!

abthree wrote:

Suggestion #2:  live in a building with 24-hour security...

Excellent suggestion, AB.

Not just because the security guard a/k/a vigilante might physically stop the ersatz cops.

But especially because the known presence of round-the-clock security prevents bad actors from even considering a move against residents.  The delincuentes will typically target an unguarded building instead.

This is an example of the principal of nature known as The Path of Least Resistance.

cccmedia, at a 24-hour-security complex
           in Centro Histórico, Quito, Ecuador

07/20/21

ccmedia,

True.

Our building, like similar ones in many major Brazilian cities, has good passive defenses - gates, grilles, etc. - enough to slow down an attack long enough for the porteiros to call the police.  They're unarmed, their uniform is just a white shirt and dark slacks, and their main job is to assist the residents.  But they're observant and visible, and there are always two on duty.  We're not trying to be the hardest target in the area, just visibly not the softest.  So far, so good.

beppi wrote:

I want to (and so far mostly did) live in a place where neighbours and friends can come at any time, even when I'm not at home, and where strangers are potential friends - not potential enemies.

07/20/21

That's as much a matter of culture as security.

Brazilians are famously cordial and sociable, but as far as they're concerned, that's what bars and restaurants and other public spaces are for, everywhere and at every price range and social class.  Even very close friends don't drop in on each other at home.  That we don't think that dropping in on someone is strange strikes them as one more bizarre and amusing example of how odd foreigners can be.   

I don't think anyone's specifically targeting expats; here in my city, the only places that suffer these issues are what might be considered “higher end” buildings and homes.

I live in the periphery of São Paulo, and there's sort of an unwritten rule around these parts - the local traffickers do not take kindly this sort of thievery, as it might actually draw police attention.  All they want to do is traffick their wares and not deal with extraneous BS.  We've got concertina wire, really sharp spikes and broken glass as a “just in case” measure, but nobody bothers anyone here because nobody's got anything that anyone else doesn't have.

In the more affluent areas, though?  Might as well hang your jewelry, wallet and keys out on the clothesline for all the ladrões and golpistas to see.