Do LEO's carry an ID card...

[Steve in PA]

Glen,

How are your kids going to know what a "real" police ID looks like????

If some dirt bag is going to buy or make up a police uniform, drive a vehicle marked like a police car, what makes you think he won't make up some kind of ID to go along with it?

So please explain how someone flashing an "ID" that you have never seen is going to make you believe he is a LEO?

 

[38SnubFan]

All good points from Jeff and Steve so far, so I'm not going to comment, but rather post a question for Steve.

Steve,

Just curious about this because of my friend who's an LEO. He received his MOPEC card when he became a part-time officer with one department, but has since been working part-time for TWO departments. His ID card only states the department that he ORIGINALLY was hired with and still employed by. Should he have been issued two separate IDs (one for each department he's employed by)?

Also, in PA I noticed they have some sort of hologram on them, so I would think they'd be pretty difficult to fake.

-Snub

 

[Steve in PA]

Yes, your friend should be issued an ID card for each department he works for.

If my dept hires a part-time officer, who is already working in another department, I go on-line and add him to our roster. Within a week or so an ID card will arrive, identifying him as a member of our police department.

I would advise your friend to contact his superior or contact MPOETC directly to verify that he is on his departments roster.

Yes, I would agree they would be difficult to fake. But.....if you've never seen one before, how do you know what is fake or what is real? I have no idea what another states LEO ID looks like. If during an encounter some guys flashes an out of state ID, the only way I can verify it as being real is to have dispatch make contact with someone from his department. Now during this encounter I will probably be able to pick up on whether or not this guy really is a LEo just by the conversation, his actions, etc and not need to call.

 

[ktd]

So please explain how someone flashing an "ID" that you have never seen is going to make you believe he is a LEO?

I think the point is more that if you ask for an ID when they flash a badge and the guy cannot produce one you now have a reason to disbelieve he is an LEO.

k

 

[Steve in PA]

If they are "flashing a badge" then they are not wearing the normal full police uniform with duty belt and all the handy-dandy gadgets on it, they won't be driving a marled police car with the departments name, logo, emblem, light bar, etc.

If someone comes to your door in plain clothes, an umarked car, then yeah they had better be carrying a badge/ID or they won't get in my front door.

 

[thorn726]

if you really need to know they are for real, given the fake ID problem ,etc,
you could-
look for the expensive car with the lights on top ,
or if you are in apt etc and cant see, you could most likely hear the radios, or ask them to cut it on so you can hear it.

if the BG are going to enough trouble to take car eof all that, you ar ein BIG trouble, and i doubt a plainclothes cop would go to anyone's house unannounced anymore , unless again, you are already in BIG trouble.

a door to door police or whatever, i think they would be in uniform, detectives would call first, giving you time to call the dept if need be.

i know when i have reported burglars etc first the black and whites show up, but when Dt. later came by, he was plainclothes, but he basically had an appointment with me. had i any reason to think he wasnt LE, i had plenty of time to check.
point is,i think unexpected contact will be by uniformed police with tons of gear that would be hard to fake, the car, the dispatcher over the radio, etc.

 

[Missourigunner]

Do LEO's carry an ID Card

In Missouri they do, however, the law as quoted to me by an assistant Prosecuting Attorney in the County I live, stated " The Badge is sufficient identity, because the Officer or whether or not he was an actual officer could be easily verified from the City of employment." I also suppoase that would apply, if your local police responded wearing Bermuda Shorts or Cut-offs, as happened in our small town a few years ago.

 

[38SnubFan]

Steve: Thanks for getting back to me on that.

I know he has two separate department-issued IDs, but should he have two separate MOPEC IDs? Explaining about adding him to the online roster, I'm assuming he doesn't need to (as long as he has his department-issued ID accompanying his MOPEC card).

Thanks again,
38SnubFan

 

[355sigfan]

Yes we all carry govt issue id cards.
Pat

 

[Steve in PA]

He can't do anything on line, only the person authorized can do so. Instead of doing it by snail mail, I can add, delete, check on training or change an officers status within my department from computer.

Are you sure his "two dept ID's" aren't the MPOETC cards? These cards will have his picture, certification number and the name of the department.

He does need to be on any depts roster that he works for, not working for town "B" while carrying an MPOETC card that says town "A". Sounds like whoever he is working for has no idea what they are doing.

 

[38SnubFan]

Come to think of it Steve, I think his one IS the 2nd MPOETC card. I think it's the Dept "A" that he has two IDs for (one MPOETC and one "department-issue")

Thanks again.

-Snub

 

[Ala Dan]

Yep, I use to carry an active duty LEO picture comission (ID) card; now
I got'a RETIRED card.

Professional type LEO's will gladly present a valid comission card when
flashing their badge. The holder's thumb prints should be present on
the reverse side of the card, along with their D.O.B. and blood type;
along with service date.

 

[fastbolt]

Since I work a plainclothes assignment I've made it a practice to simply display both my flat badge & issued ID card, which contains my picture, as well as other information.

Naturally, I started doing this after some folks questioned my badge, displayed in a leather belt-clip type holder, and I had to start digging my ID card out of my wallet.

Then, I got an approved ID badge wallet, which contains a flat badge (duplicate of my regular badge, except its flat and glued in the wallet), and displays my ID card in a window opposite the badge.

Then, folks started questioning whether both were fake.

Sometimes I even display a second ID card, as well as a security-coded building entry card, which contains another picture of me, and is displayed in a pocket-clip holder, used for building security identification purposes.

Back when I was in a uniform and working an area which was a bit above 'middle class', I even had some folks tell me that my badge, ID card, uniform and marked patrol car could ALL be fake, and wanted to know how I planned on 'proving' my identity to their satisfaction.

No problem, just call the communications center and ask them to verify whether I work for the agency, and ask them to confirm whether it's me at your door. You want me to GIVE you the number??? Hmmm, no, I don't think so ... I think that to make this double-blind identity check effective, you should go look it up for yourself, while I wait outside, and try to figure out how to get transfered around the switchboard and communications center, and then to the specific dispatcher that handles such requests, for yourself. I'll wait outside and listen to the stereo ...

Of course, some folks who won't demonstrate at least some minimal common sense, in situations involving suspected criminal activity, sometimes end up being cuffed with fake cuffs, booked into the fake jail, and find themselves arguing with the fake judge ...

Now, our ID cards have changed over the years, and the new ones have a bar code, aren't laminated, and they're apparently 'more difficult' to produce, equipment-wise, than the older laminated ones.

ID cards can change from one agency to the next. Some have ID numbers on them, and some don't. Mine doesn't.

For that matter, some badge numbers are ID numbers, and some ID numbers don't match badge numbers. Some badges have names instead of numbers.

Some ID cards have holograms ... and some have smart chips.

Everyone is apparently consistent as hell, huh?

 

[TheFederalistWeasel]

Here's a thread hijacker...

Consider everything you, yourselves have posted about LEO ID from around the nation and now apply that to the argument we had recently about why some of the states are refusing to implement HR 218, nationwide carry for LEO based on this very same argument.

 

[asleepinTucson]

When off duty, I wear a badge in front of my gun on my strong side. I carry a flat badge in a badge wallet with my sworn picture ID (**** is a sworn officer in the commonwealth of VA and is authorized to .. etc..) and we are issued a second picture ID to wear in any of the LEA buildings, courts or Jails.

 

[DMF]

Naturally, I started doing this after some folks questioned my badge, displayed in a leather belt-clip type holder, and I had to start digging my ID card out of my wallet.

Then, I got an approved ID badge wallet, which contains a flat badge (duplicate of my regular badge, except its flat and glued in the wallet), and displays my ID card in a window opposite the badge.

A few weeks back while I was duty agent, our hotline took three calls in the morning about a guy asking questions, and pretending to be one of our agents. I called them all back, and got detailed info from all three. All three mentioned the fake looking credentials. Well the callers were all down near one of our smaller offices, so I called an agent there to pass on the info and have him check it out. When I started providing the details about the complaintants he started busting up laughing, and said, "Man that was me, working on ******. I was wondering why they were so unfriendly!"