Teen Steals Patrol Car

**Beans** · 03-29-07, 02:29 PM

Teen Walks In, Steals Police Car, Starts Pulling People Over

A 17-year-old Florida teen is in trouble with the law after a brazen car heist.

The teen dressed himself as a police officer, then walked into the Melbourne Police Department and grabbed the keys to a cruiser.
He then used the car to pull over a motorist before being spotted and arrested by a real Melbourne police officer.

The teen used to volunteer in the police youth program. Investigators said he used his knowledge of the police department to walk right in and swipe the cruiser.

Surveillance cameras caught the teen walking past a booking room and into a secure area and took the keys.

"It definitely came as a shock to the department. It has caused us to evaluate the security measures we take," said Jill Fredricksen of the Melbourne Police Department.

The teenager was clearly dressed like an officer, wearing a vest and belt, police said.
Investigators said he actually pulled someone over for a traffic stop, and that's how he was caught.

Another officer stopped to help, and when he did, he realized the teen was not an officer.

The teenager was dismissed from the police department's youth program for using illegal fireworks, police said.

**bird1** · 03-29-07, 02:32 PM

**Ducky** · 03-29-07, 03:02 PM

One rotten apple... it's stuff like this that causes departments to rethink explorer programs.

**gozling** · 03-29-07, 03:03 PM

HAHAHAAHAH
some things are just really funny!!

**BigDawg** · 03-29-07, 03:06 PM

Yea I think they need to re-think their security measures also. That was the dumb statement of the week!!!

**Bosco3379** · 03-29-07, 03:52 PM

Wow, what a dumbass. One person makes the entire program and every Explorer everywhere look bad...

**Beans** · 03-29-07, 04:00 PM

I bet the person who got pulled over was like, "Man they hire them young these days!"

**keith720** · 03-29-07, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by Beans

I bet the person who got pulled over was like, "Man they hire them young these days!"

I don't know: the older I get, the younger new cops look! I swear I saw a city cop the other day that hasn't had to shave yet! (Other than that, she wasn't too bad!

)

We had a Deputy get his car stolen while he was on a domestic. He thought another Deputy took it as a joke, until it came over the radio that there was a high speed pursuit involving a city officer chasing a county squad! It ended with the squad hitting a tree. The Deputy got a few days off.

**10-42Adam** · 03-29-07, 06:54 PM

Damn. Think he had a gun on his duty belt, too?

**TwanimusPrime** · 03-29-07, 07:24 PM

Back at my last agency, we had a Deputy get hus car stolen. He stopped went to an Agg Assault in progress at a Rest Area. When he got there, he saw the bad guy holding a knife to the victim. he jumped out, left the key in and forgot to the lock the door, bad gun ran off.

He lost sight and tried to find him. Then he looked over and saw a Cruiser driving through the rest area. Though "Hey my backup is here." Then he realized it was HIS car. Bad guy got in and drove off. So he went to the phone the Vic was using, still on with our dispatch, and calmly said the bad guy took his car.

Well, he led the Sgt. of the shift and another Deputy on a fun little pursuit. Bad Guy ended up striking a occupied vehicle a truck stop down the road. He then bailed. Sgt. went after him.

Sgt. caught him trying to play it cool, arrested him. bad guy says "I don't know what you are talking about. Sgt. reached into his pocket and says "then why is the patrol cars key in your pocket"

Safe to say he went to prison. The people in the vehicle that was hit tried to sue the Department, didn't work. The Deputy didn't get any discipline (that I know of) due to the immediate threat when he left his car unlocked.