Maybe it’s just being reported with greater regularity, but by watching the headlines in the past few months it’s been my observation that there has been an increase in the arrest of police impersonators. Just last week, we had the terribly amusing incident in which a firefighter from New Mexico presenting himself as a cop attempted to make a traffic stop — of an actual cop! That incident was eerily similar to one in September of last year in which a New York man initiated a traffic stop on someone who turned out to be a legitimate detective. Ron White was right: You can’t fix stupid.
Late yesterday, we closed the voting on our most recent Police1 poll, “Have you ever busted a police impersonator?” The results of the poll were unsurprising — about 75 percent of the more than 1,000 people who voted said no, they had not, while roughly one quarter had either nabbed an impersonator ‘red-handed in uniform’ or during the course of an investigation.
A small handful of Police1 Members sent me stories of the impersonator they busted, and I want to share a couple of them with you. I exchanged email with these officers yesterday, and secured their permission to post their comments (I’ve done no real editing here other than to check spelling and grammar, and tighten up a sentence or two). You’ll note that I’ve set this column to “Secure, LEO-only” despite the fact there really isn’t any tactical information contained herein which would give the bad guys any useful information. I’ve done this to facilitate additional conversation in the comments area. Share your stories my friends. Maybe in so doing, someone out there will have a tool for their belt they didn’t have before clicking onto this column. Okay, let’s get to it...
Must be the Alcohol
While meeting with my officers to give them their updated assignments in the downtown area of Reno (N.V.) during the famed “Hot August Nights” car celebration, we observe a black Crown Vic with tinted windows pull up to our location — mind you, the streets are closed to vehicle traffic.
At first I think, “Okay, a nosey lieutenant.” But then realize... nope, we sold those vehicles at auction last year... all of our LTs are driving black-and-whites now. But his vehicle has the antennas, the cage, and the spotlights of an unmarked police ride.
A tall, thin, male in his 40s exits the vehicle, dressed in a polo shirt and dark BDU pants and begins to walk to where my officers are gathered. “Something’s wrong,” I’m thinking... he just doesn’t look, walk, or have the aura of a cop.
He then introduces himself as an investigator for Department of Homeland Security and tell us if we need any assistance, don’t hesitate to call. I’m sensing this is all wrong.... is that alcohol I smell on his breath?
I ask for his business card, and of course he is all out of them. “Okay, how about an ID card,” I say as I’m quickly scanning him for weapons (I see none). As he’s looking through his wallet, he hands me a business card for a computer repair store, stating this is his second job. I see in his wallet he has a small “EMT” badge.
We pat him down for weapons and detain him. I still can’t believe that he would attempt to pull this off with real officers.... must be the alcohol. I call for a DUI unit. He blows a 0.18
We book him for Impersonating a Police Officer and DUI. Since his car was part of his projected persona we booked it as evidence, and found that the lights were converted to act as flashing wig-wag lights.... the cage was actually a child gate that was rigged to the back of his front seats. He had a fake DEA badge and a pair of plastic handcuffs in his glove box.
We did some research but couldn’t link him to any of our impersonator cases.
During the next few months, he continues to badger evidence techs about getting his vehicle back. I contacted him and told him when the court case is done we will release the vehicle...however till then it’s evidence.... you know that.... or at least you’re supposed to... LOL!
— Mike Lessman, Reno (N.V.) Police Department (Ret SWAT/DET Sgt.)
A Happy Ending
I work in what I am told is the only state-owned convention center with its own police department. I was assigned to special operations — I’m the Sergeant now — and I observed a subject in black BDUs, a black “POLICE” t-shirt, and armed with a stainless S&W .40 exiting a car parked in a restricted area. I had seen the car before but not the driver. When I asked him who he worked for, he said “State troopers.” In the state of Georgia, a trooper is not allowed to wear anything marked other than GSP, Georgia State Patrol, or Trooper, and their issued Glock handguns. I asked him if he was a trooper and he said “No, Treasury”.
Now I was really curious. Feds don’t wear BDUs when they are at our facility. I asked for his ID and he presented a Georgia CDL driver’s license. He then presented laminated business cards representing him as a revenue agent for the state. I was REALLY, REALLY curious now, so I demanded his law enforcement credentials and when he could not produce them, I asked for his supervisor’s name and phone number.
Nope, nada, nobody.
I relieved him of his weapon, transported him to the precinct, and offered to use the state database of certified law enforcement officers (POST) to show his status and he blinked. I then knew for sure he was not a cop.
I pulled a criminal history and found that about five months earlier, he had been arrested for enticing a minor for indecent purposes in a county approximately 80 miles away. Hmmmmm...
I called that county prosecutor and asked about the case and found he was…get this, a substitute teacher at a high school, was involved with a 15-year-old girl, and her mother found the emails and turned him in.
During the course of the investigation, I had obtained information that this perp had a gold badge and ID card, I asked the prosecutor if they had served a search warrant for the perp’s computer and had they also confiscated a badge and ID.
The prosecutor asked, “How did you know that?” and I replied that he did not have them when I encountered him and if I had found them during a search warrant, I would have seized them also (the gun was in his car, outside of the scope of a search warrant for a home computer).
The prosecutor was pleased, revoked his bond — he was not supposed to leave the county — and requested a copy of my report.
I then contacted the state revenue department and found that he had been a civilian employee and had been involved in multiple incidents where he was impersonating an enforcement officer but they could not gather enough evidence to fire him until 2004 (I arrested him in 2006).
So, a happy ending... except for the perp!
— Sgt. Alan White, Georgia World Congress Center, Department of Public Safety
Situation Under Control
The suspect whispered to me that he was a DEA special agent after he hit the mailbox while DUI. He pulled me to the side and claimed that he had the whole situation under control, claiming that he was conducting and investigation by trying to help the home owner find out who hit the mailbox (not he had damage to the front of his car and mud on the tires from where he left the road).
The suspect then asked if he could continue talking to who he though was the home owner.
Little did the suspect know that the house was an MS13 gang flop house. I asked him if he knew anything about the residence, or any of the occupants, or anyone who frequents the home. The suspect (a drunk college student with a suspended driver’s license for DUI) said, “I guess hard working Mexicans?”
I told him “No, they’re violent Hispanic gang bangers who don’t care for federal agents investigating anything around them.”
The suspect went to jail for DUI, and impersonating a police officer.
— Deputy Debony Maffett, Gwinnett County (Ga.) Sheriff’s Department
Some Final Thoughts
Regular readers will recall that this is not the first time we’ve covered the issue of police impersonators. A couple of months ago, I asked one of my columnists — Marty Katz — to do an article on what police agencies can do to help stem the seemingly growing tide of police impersonators around the country. A few years ago, I had asked another of my guys — Andrew Hawkes — to dig into the matter. In each case, the response was excellent, so I have to believe we’ll revisit this topic again sometime down the road. Meanwhile, sound off with your own suggestions in the comments area below, or send me an email with your thoughts.
Okay, before I get out of Dodge here, I have one last comment about the item last week in the Albuquerque Journal about Tyree Appleberry, the firefighter who pulled over an undercover Albuquerque police detective. This thing reminds me of that classic little story...
“Mommy, why are there police officers?” the little boy asked as a LEO strode by.
“Because firefighters need heroes too, honey,” the mom replied.
Cheap shot, I know, but I couldn’t help myself. I should say now that I have a lot of respect for firefighters, and my little joke above is in no way meant to demean those professionals. In fact, I’ve trained with a bunch of firefighters here in San Francisco, just to have a good solid handle on some of the challenges they face.
I do, however, have a problem with anyone who poses as a cop, so I’m fine with ridiculing this particular individual all day long. Like I said up top, you can’t fix stupid.
