Impersonating A Police Officer

[JohnKelly]

In relation to the following Officer.com News Link,

https://www.officer.com/on-the-stree...ents-residents

I'm curious to know if in your part of the world is it the policy of your Police Force/Department to to rely solely on a badge?

I believe a properly designed identification card with embedded security features including a photo would be more secure than simply producing a badge.

Police Forces in my part of the world and AFAIK the United Kingdom issue police officers with a wallet which contains a fitted badge and ID card.

Metal badges do not form part of the operational uniform and detectives are required to produce a photo ID and not just the badge.

[CCCSD]

The ID card is actually our authority document. The badge is the symbol of our office. Badge with no ID? Not going to believe you. Badge with ID? Good to go. ID card only? Good to go.

No badge is needed actually.

[NolaT]

Yes, badges alone are totally suspect, as they can easily be bought online.

No legit LEO will product only a badge, or be satisfied with anyone only producing a badge.

Your Commission is what IDs you an an LEO.

[Kraut0783]

Agree with all of above....unfortunately, many police T.V. shows just have the Detective showing a badge, usually on a belt clip...very Hollywood

[JohnKelly]

Agree with all of above....unfortunately, many police T.V. shows just have the Detective showing a badge, usually on a belt clip...very Hollywood

Yes, I noticed that., the TV series Blue Bloods comes to mind.

[9L81]

The badge is a quick identifier but must be backed up by appropriate identification if to be given any weight. When I worked for a city I had a badge and a city ID card.

As a Fed I have two badges (smaller one to go with creds and larger one for the belt), normal Federal PIV card ID which identifies me as LE and an emergency responder, and credentials. Not sure I have ever used the PIV card as any sort of ID. Primarily it is just to log into electronic devices or to access controlled spaces.

It is the credentials that really identify me as a SA for my agency, enumerate my authority etc. When going through security at a federal building I show my creds. When flying armed I show my creds. When identifying myself to an interviewee I use the credentials. There are two parts to it so it fills out one fold of the creds wallet and if someone really wants to see a badge then I can show them inside the next fold of the wallet. Most people are fine seeing the creds. Sometimes starting with a business card is the best way to go at the beginning of a conversation then if appropriate I'll show my creds.

If it's some random coming up to me trying to figure out why I am sitting in a car doing surveillance or something like that, if I decide to ID myself, I will just show the badge which is usually good enough. If they want to have a conversation then usually I'll just leave but if it's a situation where I have to sit for a period of time I'll quickly show the creds if the badge doesn't work. If they are annoyed then I encourage them to call the local police or sheriff to come check to see I am legitimate. Several people have said they would but so far I haven't been contacted by a local wondering what I am up to.

[BNWS]

Agree with all of above....unfortunately, many police T.V. shows just have the Detective showing a badge, usually on a belt clip...very Hollywood

As a plainclothes officer and detective many civilians were shown just the shield(badge) unless they asked for the ID card. Most were satisfied and business was conducted quickly. When dealing with other officers Shield and ID will be expected.
I never watched Blue bloods but if they are just showing shields it's pretty accurate. Civilians only asked me for my ID a handful of times in my 25 year career.

[CCCSD]

As a plainclothes officer and detective many civilians were shown just the shield(badge) unless they asked for the ID card. Most were satisfied and business was conducted quickly. When dealing with other officers Shield and ID will be expected.
I never watched Blue bloods but if they are just showing shields it's pretty accurate. Civilians only asked me for my ID a handful of times in my 25 year career.

Yep. Only time I got asked for my ID while in uniform was when picking up a State Prisoner…

[Iowa #1603]

As a plainclothes officer and detective many civilians were shown just the shield(badge) unless they asked for the ID card. Most were satisfied and business was conducted quickly. When dealing with other officers Shield and ID will be expected.

This is pretty normal in the Midwest.

When ever I travel in a county car I am armed. I always just put my badge on my belt beside the firearm if I am in civilian clothing. My ID notes that I am a Transport Officer & I keep it pretty deep in my wallet as I am almost never asked for it & the chip radiates through the leather if I need to use it for access to a secure area.

Yep. Only time I got asked for my ID while in uniform was when picking up a State Prisoner…

I am constantly amazed .......I pick up prisoners all over the upper Midwest at prisons and jail and am NEVER asked for an ID. I worked in a prison for years and KNOW our policy was the Gate officer was to verify the ID of the officer picking up prisoners and then the Supervisor who signed the prisoner out of the facility was to also verify.

[tanksoldier]

The badge is easier to see, that’s why it is usually shown…. But as mentioned above, no ID when requested makes the badge mean nothing.

I used to do inmate transports all over Colorado, and the only places that made me show my ID were El Paso County Jail and Buena Vista Correctional.

[westside popo]

I can't remember the last time someone, civilian or LEO actually asked to see my police ID.

[CCCSD]

I was working a POTUS security detail long, long ago. A SS car full of agents pulled up and I stopped them and asked for ID. The reply from the driver was to flick his left jacket collar at me stating “pin of the day”. My response to him, as I placed my hand on my firearm was “Jail of the day…or worse, if I don’t see some ID”.

He gave his buddies a look, sighed, produced his creds and flipped them at me, stating, “ you’ve seen my ID. DEPUTY”. in a practiced, snotty voice. And tried to drive forward.

I radioed for back up, and again asked for ID, at which point, the SAC sitting in the rear seat said “Jesus [email protected]#$&* Christ John! Give him, EVERYONE, give him your IDs. NOW! And stop being a#$$&es. I apologize Deputy, sometimes they THINK they are above street cops.”

IDs flew into my hand and I checked each one against the owner, taking that extra sweet time to ensure legitimacy of the car too.

Yep. ID with photo, badges alone don’t mean a thing.

[Aidokea]

I was working a POTUS security detail long, long ago. A SS car full of agents pulled up and I stopped them and asked for ID. The reply from the driver was to flick his left jacket collar at me stating “pin of the day”. My response to him, as I placed my hand on my firearm was “Jail of the day…or worse, if I don’t see some ID”.

He gave his buddies a look, sighed, produced his creds and flipped them at me, stating, “ you’ve seen my ID. DEPUTY”. in a practiced, snotty voice. And tried to drive forward.

I radioed for back up, and again asked for ID, at which point, the SAC sitting in the rear seat said “Jesus [email protected]#$&* Christ John! Give him, EVERYONE, give him your IDs. NOW! And stop being a#$$&es. I apologize Deputy, sometimes they THINK they are above street cops.”

IDs flew into my hand and I checked each one against the owner, taking that extra sweet time to ensure legitimacy of the car too.

Yep. ID with photo, badges alone don’t mean a thing.

You rock.

While working a Presidential Protection Detail at The Benson Hotel in Portland Oregon back in 1992, Al Gore, who is an arrogant pri€k, tried to walk through me like I wasn't even there, attempting to get onto the President's floor. He didn't even having the pin of the day on his lapel. He is a big dude, but I palm-checked him, and held him up against the wall until his Secret Service detail caught up to him and took him off my hands.

Gore was absolutely livid, and stuck his finger in my Sergeant's face yelling that he didn't want to EVER see me again. So my Sergeant put me in the exact same place the next night.

The Secret Service people thought it was hilarious, and many of them sought me out afterwards to shake my hand, pat me on the back, give me their business cards, and thank me for putting Gore in his place.

[NolaT]

Ha, you BOTH rock!

[Iowa #1603]

A hundred yrs ago---well more like 1979 --- I was attending the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy Basic. Most of the students were already sworn officers/deputies some having worked nearly a year (like me) but were attending the basic class

That year Pope John Pall II came to Iowa for a visit. Some 300,000 people attended his mass at Des Moines. The SS requested our assistance at the scene of the mass for crowd control

We all had to get permission from our agency to help . That permission was given for most everyone .

2 days before the visit the SS came to the academy to give us our final briefing .......some 60 of us were there listening to the arrogance

THEN the agent told us we were to be in full uniform WITHOUT gun belts since we were "cadets"

Everyone just looked around at each other.........for a few seconds.

I then stood up and said that if I was in uniform without a weapon I was out of uniform and as such I would not be participating. My sheriff would have had a heart attack seeing a deputy in uniform with out a gun.

As I sat down pretty much everyone else started saying they wouldn't be working either......................

The agent told us to calm down that we weren't "police yet" but cadets and the SS wouldn't allow us armed. We said BYE. He left and made a phone call and we got to wear our firearms !

It was a neat experience !!!!!