14-year-old charged with impersonating a cop

[Pelorus]

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6623808

January 25, 2009 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Chicago police say a 14-year-old boy has been charged with impersonating a police officer after he allegedly dressed up in a regulation uniform and reported for duty at a South Side police station.

The boy worked with a partner in a squad car overnight.

The 14-year-old boy, identified by his mother as Vincent Richardson, was in police custody at the juvenile detention center Sunday. Police say he was very familiar with the police department because he used to be a member of the Young Explorer program, which is part of the CAPS program. Police say the boy was and still is eager to be a police officer.

His mother says he has wanted to be a police officer since he was five years old.
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It was Saturday at 1:30 p.m. that police say the 14-year-old boy reported for duty at the 3rd district. The teenager was dressed in a full authorized Chicago police uniform, although he was not wearing a C.P.D. star on his sweater, nor was he carrying a gun.

The boy was partnered with a female officer. They went out for about five hours on traffic duty before heading back to the station. It was there that a sergeant questioned the boy about his identity and also why he wasn't wearing a star.

The boy says he couldn't answer the questions and began making up stories. It was then when he was arrested for impersonating a police officer.

"He basically said he did it because he was bored," mother Veronica Brock told ABC7 Chicago.

"The senior officer was in full control of the squad car at all times, and the 14-year-old never interacted with the public while present with the assigned officer," said Chicago police Asst. Supt. James Jackson.

However, Brock says that is not true. She says her son told her that he went on 10 calls Saturday afternoon, including a couple domestic violence calls.

"The height and weight was pretty much proportionate. A photograph of the individual, in my opinion, he looks older than his 14 years. Keep in mind, [he was] in the uniform, because as Sergeant Jackson stated, he was familiar with the procedures as being an Explorer," Dep. Supt. Dan Dugan said.

At the beginning of the shift, it is police practice to have a roll call, and at that roll call, it is the watch commander's responsibility to look at every officer's uniform. In this situation Saturday, apparently there was no roll call.

The incident is under review and investigation. Police would not say exactly what the female officer that the boy rode with for five hours had to say or if she questioned him.

Brock says this is not the first time her son has impersonated an officer. She claims he did it before and was never prosecuted. She also says Vincent told her he bought the uniform at a uniform shop.

The mother says while he son may look a bit older than 14, she still can't believe he got away with it for more than five hours. " I was listening to what he was saying, and I'm looking at the cops thinking, 'How did you not know this was a 14-year-old kid?'" Brock said.

Emphasis mine.

 

[PMedMoe]

Brock says this is not the first time her son has impersonated an officer. She claims he did it before and was never prosecuted.

Maybe he should be prosecuted this time.  :

 

[helpup]

It's amusing, scary and embarassing for the PD. And right now I cant a similar scene out of my mind where a pre teen in Ottawa dresses up as a Cerimonial Guard and shadow's the parade.  His Mom did a good job on the uniform as well.

 

[Journeyman]

What if his "partner" had needed backup?
What if he'd had to intervene in a crime, or in some other way protect society?
Why didn't mom know he was gone overnight?
After he'd impersonated a cop before, why didn't someone take his uniform away and impress upon him the seriousness of his actions?

I'm sure there's more to the story -- although we're unlikely to get it from the kid since it's obvious he's an accomplished/compulsive liar.
But from what's here......sorry, I don't see it as remotely amusing.

 

[Pelorus]

Indeed.


For me, the most confusing part of the story (at least based upon the information presented in the article) is why an individual leaving the building to start patrol without a badge or firearm didn't arouse suspicion, especially with the partner who had a long time to figure things out.

Time will tell I suppose.

 

[PMedMoe]

What if his "partner" had needed backup?
What if he'd had to intervene in a crime, or in some other way protect society?

What if he'd been shot "in the line of duty"?  I'm sure his mother wouldn't be quite so blasé about it.

 

[geo]

Methinks that "partner" wasn't all that "switched on" that she didn't turn around and haul this child's a$$ back into the station within 5 minutes of being paired with him....

WRT this wannabe.... prosecute his a$$.  It's the only way he's going to learn to stay in his lane &  leave it to the profeswsionals

 

[helpup]

What if his "partner" had needed backup?
What if he'd had to intervene in a crime, or in some other way protect society?
Why didn't mom know he was gone overnight?
After he'd impersonated a cop before, why didn't someone take his uniform away and impress upon him the seriousness of his actions?

I'm sure there's more to the story -- although we're unlikely to get it from the kid since it's obvious he's an accomplished/compulsive liar.
But from what's here......sorry, I don't see it as remotely amusing.

Well that is my sense of humour, I can find humour in most things. It didn't have all those repercussions you mentioned although I agree fully that it could of.  Since it didn't and I can have and will continue to find humour where I see it.  The Force that it happened on will undoubtedly be held more accountable and in future may even learn to never underestimate the power of people to be stupid. 

 

[dapaterson]

Given the history of Chicago politics (and Illinois politics for that matter), I suspect no one would be surprised to see a 14 year old on the payroll - they'd only be surprised that they showed up for work at all.

Nepotism and corruption are not unique to New Orleans...

 

[FormerHorseGuard]

after living in the US of A for 5 years, ( now home in Canada)  I have a few questions. Why did no one notice this "Officer" was not carrying his side arm? I found police officers in the States were very  much into carrying their weapons  on and off duty.  Everyone who works for the city or other levels of government there all carry  some sort of badge. I  would think some one might notice he did not have his on , no uniform inspections before shift?

Did no one notice he was not wearing a protective vest? Or does the Chicago Police not require them? I sort of figured that lack of bulk look from the vest  would  be a give away in this matter and no weapon, no badge just the icing on the cake. Figured the lack of personal safety  equipment is important and wuld be checked.
I think the Female officer should be educated and demoted, the Officer who assigned the kid to her should be demoted and educated on what  a fully  turned out Police officer looks like when on duty and what  he/ she should look for when assigning officers to work for the day.


Does this mean  just anyone can show up and be assigned a police car and a patrol zone with no questions asked?
just my  thoughts.

 

[kkwd]

If i had not seen this story from multiple sources I would have thought it was a bad joke.
Here is another article about the event.

Link to original article

Boy who impersonated cop had done it before
January 26, 2009 1:00 PM | 6 Comments

The 14-year-old Chicago boy charged with impersonating a Chicago police officer had been arrested at least once before for the same thing, according to the minister who acted as the boy's temporary guardian last year.

Roosevelt Watkins, pastor of the Bethlehem Star Missionary Baptist Church at 9231 S. Cottage Grove Avenue, said the first incident occurred in December 2007 and the second in December 2008.

In the first incident, Watkins said, the boy, who is a muscular 5 foot 3,  was arrested at 63d Street and Racine Avenue after he asked police to give him a ride to the nearby Englewood District station because he was reporting for duty. The officers asked him for his date of birth, but the boy couldn't come up with an answer and was arrested.

The second time, Watkins said the boy was stopped by police at the Ford City shopping mall, where he was walking around in full uniform. Police records do not show any record of him being arrested after this incident.

After the first incident, Watkins said the boy, who was living with his mother and having some problems there, had two options after a court hearing: Being placed with a guardian or going to detention. Watkins chose to act as a guardian, and the boy moved in with him Jan 1, staying until Dec. 1.

That's when the boy's mother wanted to take him back, and the boy agreed, according to Watkins. He stayed with her until Dec. 31, when a dispute led him to leave the home. He then lived in a shelter, Watkins said. The boy also was charged with domestic battery for allegedly hitting his mother early this month.

Watkins said that the boy had been involved in "a police explorers" program in the Grand Crossing District for about 18 months but was removed from the program after the December 2007 incident. He said the boy loved police shows on television, especially "COPS," and played video games that had police themes.

He also said that he thought the boy had done well within the structured situation of his home and church, where he worked in the church's after-school program.

Watkins attended a crowded juvenile court hearing for the boy today, where Judge Andrew Berman accepted a not-guilty plea, ordered a clinical evaluation of the boy and sent him back to detention. He also scheduled another court date for Feb. 27.

Watkins said he agreed with the judge's actions, adding that he hopes the court will place him with a guardian instead of keeping him in detention.

"Instead of having him in juvenile detention, he needs juvenile intervention," Watkins said.

"Sometimes he does not think everything through when he's thinking about the consequences facing his actions," Watkins added.

The muscular, broad-shouldered boy, who sports close-cropped hair, responded quietly to several questions from the judge, sometimes looking downward. The boy was handcuffed with his hands behind his back, and wore khaki pants with a burgundy sweatshirt.

Watkins said that the boy had obtained the police uniform from a store on Roosevelt Road in Chicago, and that he was wearing a vest stuffed with magazines on Saturday and a fake badge. Watkins said he believes that the boy was involved in police work for about five hours Saturday and that his experience with both the police explorers group and his liking for cop television shows and video games helped him pass himself off as an officer.

-- Noreen Ahmed-Ullah

 

[Smirnoff123]

I think that it's surprising that the kid even knew who to talk to once he was in the station.

 

[kkwd]

Here is a Chicago Police news conference of the event.
Video

 

[Smirnoff123]

I think that it's surprising that the kid even knew who to talk to once he was in the station.

Nevermind, I guess he would of known what to do because he was in a police program.

 

[Journeyman]

I figured more of the story would come out in the fullness of time.

Let's see....he's done this three times now...as a 14-year old, he's been living in a shelter after being charged with battery against his mother.....he sometimes "does not think everything through"......

Got it. These adolescent shenanigans are merely his 'acting out' because we, as a society, have let him fall through the cracks. Our fault.

Hmmm.....yet he does so "well within the structured situation of his home and church" (glad I'm not the Standards O on that call  :  ). Maybe the "structured situation" of juvenile prison will just charm him to bits.....the little imp

 

[helpup]

This is still amusing. I just wonder if anyone of the people involved are going to learn.  I.E the PD, City, Courts, Parents, and more importantly the little " IMP"  that muscular 5'3'' Lil Devil >

 

[PMedMoe]

More news regarding this incident.

CHICAGO - Chicago police said Tuesday a 14-year-old boy who posed as an officer drove a patrol car and aided in an arrest and seven officers face disciplinary reviews for the "lax" behaviour that allowed the teen's escapade to happen.

Article Link

"They weren't paying attention," Supt. Jody Weis said at a news conference announcing the completion of the investigation.

"They were lax. I'm very upset." "This whole incident is very disturbing." The teenager, an aspiring police officer, allegedly wore a uniform and entered a South Side police station through an unlocked back door around 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 24. He was issued a radio and rode with a patrol officer for more than five hours, at times using the terminal in the squad car and responding to five assignments, Weis said.

Authorities previously said the teen did not drive a squad car but Weis said Tuesday the boy - who is too young to drive in Illinois - spent two hours behind the wheel. The boy also helped in the arrest of a suspect who allegedly violated a protection order.

"He brought the arm into the middle of his back so handcuffs could be placed on him," Weis said.

The boy returned to the station at 7:37 p.m., when a supervisor discovered the teen was not wearing a complete uniform and had no weapon, Weis said. The teen was arrested at 7:40 p.m.

"This is absolutely unacceptable," Weis said.

"We were very fortunate that a lot of tragic things didn't happen." The boy has pleaded not guilty in juvenile court to impersonating an officer. He is no longer in custody but must wear an electronic monitoring device.

More on link

I can't believe this kid pleaded not guilty.

 

[Greymatters]

I can't believe this kid pleaded not guilty.

Im sure in the kid's mind he thinks of himself as 'not guilty' - society likely has a surprise in store for him...

 

[geo]

PMED,
The kid did not impersonate an officer in that he simply wore the Cadet uniform that he was issued... which is near exactly like the regular uniform.... W/O the badge & gun.

Maybe, just maybe it wasn't a good decision to have these uniforms so similar.  In Montreal, the cadet uniforms' shirt is WHITE, the sleeve badges clearly spell out CADET... no mistaking that

 

[PMedMoe]

geo, are you talking about a totally different case??

It was Saturday at 1:30 p.m. that police say the 14-year-old boy reported for duty at the 3rd district. The teenager was dressed in a full authorized Chicago police uniform, although he was not wearing a C.P.D. star on his sweater, nor was he carrying a gun.

The boy was partnered with a female officer. They went out for about five hours on traffic duty before heading back to the station. It was there that a sergeant questioned the boy about his identity and also why he wasn't wearing a star.

If that's not deliberate impersonation, I don't know what is.