Homeland Security called to investigate bizarre case of fake police department in Uvalde Co.

Utopia PD does not exist, and an AI detecting program tested by the New York Times found that this image along with others was likely artificially generated. Utopia is located about 20 miles northwest of Medina County. This image of a vehicle was uploaded to a Yelp page for the fraudulent agency, which was created March 10.

Hali Mecklin
Staff writer
Uvalde Leader-News

Utopia Police Department’s website boasts a professional force dedicated to community-oriented policing, protecting the tiny town’s roughly 200 residents and keeping it “one of the safest communities in the Texas Hill Country.”
Even chief James R. Dawson bragged about the agency’s relationship with locals in a quote on the homepage. 
“Utopia is a small town, and that is our greatest strength. We know our residents by name, and we take pride in the trust this community places in us. Whether you need to report an incident, have a concern, or simply want to say hello, my door is always open.”
But Utopia PD doesn’t exist, and neither does Dawson.
“It’s definitely a scam,” Uvalde County Sheriff Ruben Nolasco said. “I know that they’re reaching out to actual institutions, they’ve contacted phone companies. They’re trying to obtain information from people.”
The sheriff’s office became aware of the fake police department in March, after Utopia “officers” solicited customer information from various companies including Rolex and Verizon. Now UCSO is collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security on an…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!