Police in Hamilton are trying to identify a man who has allegedly been posing as an officer in the K9 unit.

Police say on Thursday at around 10 a.m., a man showed up at a residence in the area of Homestead Drive and Strathearne Place, posing as a police officer. The man, police say, was wearing dark clothing that resembled a police uniform and he was driving a dark-coloured vehicle that did not have any police markings.

According to investigators, the man told the homeowner that he needed to use the property for a “K9 exercise.”

He was given permission to use the property by the homeowner, who subsequently left the residence.

The homeowner later reported the incident to police but officers were not able to track down the suspect.

On Friday, while police were canvassing the area for witnesses, a neighbour told officers that he too had been approached by a man with a similar request. He also gave the suspect permission to use the property. He told police say he saw two men walking through his yard but did not see a dog.

Police say they have confirmed that the man is not an employee of the Hamilton Police Service or any other local agency.

“Hamilton Police recognize the public's trust in the police is very important and incidents like this can cause the community to second guess a police officer's identity. If you are questioning whether the person you are dealing with is an officer, you can ask them for their badge number and contact police for confirmation,” Hamilton police said in a news release issued Friday.

“If the person does not want to provide you with their badge number, they are likely not a police officer. If that is the case, obtain a description of the person and a licence plate if a vehicle is involved, let them know you are contacting police and do so immediately.”

Investigators are asking anyone with security video in the neighbourhood to contact police.

The suspect has been described by police as a Caucasian male who is between 35 and 45 years old. Police say he has short, blond hair and is clean-shaven.