The Associated Press
DENVER (AP) -- Wendy Cohen, whose daughter was abducted and slain by a man impersonating a police officer, asked Gov. Bill Owens and state lawmakers Tuesday to ban civilians from having red and blue police lights.
Owens said he would back legislation to make police impersonation a felony and require authorities to issue permits for the lights.
Cohen said there should be a national law passed by Congress with tough penalties for people who pretend to be police officers.
“It happens all over the country,” she said.
Jason Peder Clausen was sentenced to life in prison for killing Lacy Miller, Cohen’s daughter, on Jan. 18 while impersonating a police officer.
Cohen said her daughter was only trying to obey police as she had been taught when she was abducted.
“I don’t want another family to go through that,” she said.
Lawmakers in May increased the penalty for impersonating a peace officer from a class two misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000, to a class one misdemeanor, punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a maximum fine of $5,000.
Authorities said the law did not go far enough. A proposal backed by Owens would make the crime a felony, with a mandatory jail sentence of 15 months.
“Under this bill, which I strongly support, it will be a crime to possess emergency red and blue lights that are not authorized by law,” he said. “You’ll get to see real police officers using real police lights as they haul you to jail.”