W.T.F.

[bird1]

14-year-old boy impersonates Chicago cop

January 25, 2009 5:01 PM | UPDATED STORY

Chicago police arrested a 14-year-old boy for impersonating one of their own on Saturday.

The boy, who has been charged as a juvenile for impersonating an officer, walked into the Grand Crossing (3rd) District station, 7040 S. Cottage Grove Ave., dressed in a Chicago police uniform, police spokeswoman Monique Bond said. The boy, who reported for duty about 1:30 p.m., partnered with another police officer for about five hours.

The boy identified himself as an officer from another district but was detailed for the day to Grand Crossing and also was savvy enough to sign out a police radio and a ticket book, according to a source. The source also said the boy went on traffic stops with the officer he went on the street with.
Bond said the boy "did not write tickets" and said there was "no information to indicate that he [was] ever behind the wheel."
At an afternoon news conference police said the boy had no interaction with the public.
After his tour was over, a ranking officer became suspicious of the boy. The source said the officer discovered the teen was not a real police officer when he couldn't produce any credentials.
The source said the boy had an empty holster and a newspaper in place of a ballistic vest in his vest carrier.
Police described the boy as a former "police explorer," which means he was part of a community program run through the police department's Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) that allows youth to interact with Chicago police officers. He was part of the explorer program in 2008 in the Englewood (7th) District.
"The boy was not armed and the matter is under investigation with Internal Affairs," Bond said.
Bond also said that how the boy acquired the police uniform was under investigation. Police officers need to present identification while acquiring their uniforms.
"This individual [the boy] has identified an egregious breach in security," Deputy Supt. of Patrol Dan Dugan said at an afternoon news conference.
The boy, whom authorities were not identified since he's a juvenile, is scheduled to appear in Juvenile Court at 10 a.m. Monday.



This is fucking embarassing, what a breach of security. These assholes have some balls to pull this shit. Heads are going to roll at that District.

[Terminator]

Jesus H Mary! What the fuck is wrong with those cops? Are they really THAT stupid? What a total embarassment.

[Pudge]

Wow.............

[2 Blue 4 U]

That is totally screwed up, Some how I hope there is more to this story, not that that would make it any better but at least maybe there is some sort of an explanation.

[Five-0]

Boy would I like to be a fly on the wall at the next shift supervisor meeting for that station.

[jmur5074]

haha, holy shit that's not good....

[Radar]

So who.... how.... why.... what the....

Uh, he "worked with an officer for five hours", and "holster was empty"? uh.... what... how... why...

Ugh. I'm at a loss here. I take the officer he worked with was particularly stupid that day, or was in on it?

[irishmick]

I originally thought the thread title was "impregnates"...

I can't believe he'd be able to go out with an officer for that amount of time and not get any questions. Whoever he rode with was a dumb-shit.

[lewisipso]

This kids name and activities need to be kept at the forefront for future reference if you know what I mean.

[pgg]

I would think if my partner had an empty holster I would be suspicious. Imagine if he had "arrested" someone while "working"?

[Jks9199]

How the hell didn't somebody notice, oh, the baby face, the EMPTY HOLSTER, and just plain "14 year old-ness"!?

There's a shift there in Chicago that's really scaring me now...

[bird1]

The spin doctors are working their magic on this one. Thank god I'm on vacation, any laterals out there?? hard working cop here with a pulse , and I can tell who looks 14.

[IndianaFuzz]

The spin doctors are working their magic on this one. Thank god I'm on vacation, any laterals out there?? hard working cop here with a pulse , and I can tell who looks 14.

You mean you weren't the kid's partner?

[Buttercup]

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.


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.
(Copyright ©2009 WLS-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

14-year-old charged with impersonating cop - 1/26/09 - Chicago News - abc7chicago.com

[IndianaFuzz]

Seems like every new article I read about this has more information than the last. And in this case, each time just makes it sound worse, if thats possible.

[Xiphos]

I don't see how a cop could work with him for that long and not realize it. Yikes!

[Xiphos]

Second City Cop:

Sunday, January 25, 2009 Child Labor in 003 - Burger Queen

The buck stops at the top, doesn't it? This is a violation of at least a few Child Labor laws we're sure. And a liability issue from the Commander on down who didn't make sure the "officer" had a gun and star.

• This is classic. A male/1 in full uniform walks into the 3rd district desk and tells them he is from 005 and was sent there to work a traffic car. They get him a locker to use and call in the traffic car. He signs out a radio and jumps in with the female officer and away they go. They handle a traffic accident and when she realizes he doesn't have a ticket book they go back into the station and he signs one out.
  
  Away they go again. This time he asks if he can drive and she lets him. They write a few tickets and finish their tour.
  
  Now comes the good part
  
  Capt on the 3rd watch sees him and asks someone who he is. They tell him that he was sent over from 005. The capt has no knowledge and they start to question the "officer" When the Capt asks for his ID and star he says its out in his car. They tell him to go get it. Some smart detective follows him out to the car and they find out that he has no ID and his star was a commemorative CPD star. His vest was a vest cover stuffed with newspaper and if that wasn't funny enough...HES 14 YEARS OLD AND HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR POLICE IMPERSONATING BEFORE
  
  Check out cb#017471508 if you don't believe me. They left out some of the more embarrassing details like him driving a squad car and writing tickets.
  Crump should take the hit on this one. But then again at least they finally found someone that wants to work in 003. ha ha

Oh yeah, we're ready for the Olympics.

Labels: un-fucking-believable



All Kidding Aside

Just for a few seconds:

• What if this kid wasn't a kid with a desire to play cops and robbers?

Numerous commentators have stated "what if he had a gun?" "What if he had a bomb?" "What if he was part of an organized effort, like Mumbai or a gang initiation?" And the answer is simple:

• We'd be fucked

Station security is a joke and has been for years. Doors that don't open. Doors that stay open. Sally-ports that don't function. Lockup doors that don't lock. Civilians with no ID running around. Homeless encampments racked with how many strains of TB, Hepatitis and all manner of virus, germ and EPA Biohazard Superfund potential.

This kid identified an "egregious" flaw? Not at all. This kid exploited an egregious flaw that's been in place for years.

Do you know what we saw today? We saw J-Fed make the smartest move he's made to date. He stayed away from the press conference. And do you know why he was right to do so? Because these flaws, these shortcomings, these "egregious" and monumental lapses in building security were in place long before J-Fed got here. Decades in some cases.

So expect some knee jerk reaction that doesn't involve spending any of the mayor's precious Olympic bribe money. Doors will not be fixed. Metal detectors will not be installed. Security checkpoints within a building will not be manned. Felons who work for various housekeeping outfits will continue to empty unshredded documents with names, star numbers and criminal histories. Homeless persons will continue to camp out in lobbies spreading plague, Ebola and hemorrhagic fever.

Stand up inspections will cure everything along with a healthy dose of Big Bird. Pucker up boys and girls.

[irishmick]

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.

How come she wasn't paying attention to what the hell her son was doing for 5 hours?

[bird1]

Update: at court hearing today 14 year old pleads not guilty. ( as always )

14-Year-Old Teen Posing As A Chicago Cop Charged As Juvenile For False Impersonation - cbs2chicago.com

[Five-0]

Cry for help? Yet another "victim" that is crying for help by breaking the law.