As Spokane police and first responders have adjusted to new safety measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a new problem has arisen: people attempting to impersonate them.

“It’s just so damaging,” said Julie Humphreys, a Spokane city public safety spokesperson. “It’s scary for the public and it doesn’t do us any favors.”

The Spokane Police Department received two such complaints as of Friday. In both cases, the suspect said they were checking the status of the person to determine if they were an essential worker or engaging in nonessential business.

The first occurred March 26 around 6 a.m. when a dark Ford Crown Victoria with interior emergency lights pulled up to a man at a bus stop and asked what he was doing, according to Spokane police. The suspect told the man, who was going to work, he needed paperwork from his employer to be outside, which is not true.

The second occurred around 10 p.m. Thursday night, when a health care worker was pulled over by an unmarked car, according to Spokane police. The worker provided an ID badge, and the suspect said it was not sufficient to confirm their identity.

“It is important to know the Spokane Police Department is not targeting random people on the streets to inquire about their working status during this COVID-19 pandemic,” the police department said in a statement. “Nor are people required to have paperwork proving they are essential workers.”

Spokane police say people who are approached by a law enforcement officer in plain clothes and an unmarked vehicle can ask an officer for identification or request a uniformed officer respond. People should call 911 if they believe someone is impersonating an officer, which is a crime.

A 21-year-old Spokane Valley man was charged with a criminal impersonation in mid-March for impersonating emergency medical personnel at a car crash scene in Spokane Valley, according to court documents. Police determined Nathan L. Westbrook had approached emergency scenes before and tried to render medical care, claiming he was an EMT.

Westbrook’s red sedan was equipped with a common emergency medical services logo and a light bar, according to court documents. Clothing, vests, equipment and a fake ID badge were inside the car.

Westbrook admitted to police he had impersonated medical personnel and followed emergencies using radio scanners and other technology, court documents show. Police did not indicate why Westbrook did this.

Westbrook, who is not jailed, is scheduled to appear in Spokane County Superior Court for a second time in May.