6 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: MAY 2017 F ake cops and fed- eral agents are ev- erywhere. In Minnesota, one of them is named Anthony M. Cedarholm. Local cops would stop him from time to time because his vehicle screamed “police impersonator.” He frequently drove a white Crown Vic with a cage in the back, bars on the windows and light bars. He had a police radio and laptop attached to its center console. Then there was the license plate with a badge on it and a Taser in the cup holder. Then there was the badge and gun on his hip. His shirt had some type of law enforcement insignia on it. According to one Rose- mount police report, the man said he was an “off-duty officer” during a stop. But cops know cops and the officer pressed him. Hethenadmittedhewasn’t a cop at all but an “officer” for a security company. The last thing police of- ficers and agencies need is some moron running all over town harassing citizens and God knows what else. That’s why Lakeville Chief Jeff Long referenced Cedar- holm at the Capitol recently while he voiced his support for a bill limiting how closely a citizen’s car or clothes can match a real-deal cop’s. Long says it’s one incident involving the wannabe that disturbs him greatly. At a local Starbucks, ac- cording to a report, Cedar- holm walked up to a woman in a car and asked for her I.D. He kept it, and wit- nesses seeing his badge and gun naturally assumed the guy was law enforcement. But someone smelled something fishy and called the real cops. Cedarholm claimed he was holding onto the ID for the real police and that he thought the woman might be drunk. She was gone by the time police arrived. Cedarholm likes to play dress-up – a lot. He’s the subject of multi- ple police reports in Lakev- ille and Rosemount and was recently released from his stay at Hennepin County workhouse on an assault charge. He could not be reached for comment by reporters with the Twin Cities Pioneer Press for the story. He’s never been con- victed of impersonating an officer. The embarrassing part is that everyone knows about this guy and no one seems to be able to stop him. During comments on the bill to limit how much civil- ians can make themselves and their vehicles appear like police, several officials said they were aware of the wannabe cop. “That vehicle is still out there, it’s just moved loca- tions,” said Rep. Brian John- son, the committee’s vice chair. “I ran across it about a month ago out on Highway 65 up in Isanti County.” Legislators also heard the tale of David A. Singleton. He’s “chief executive offi- cer” of a Maplewood-based nonprofit called Minnesota Community Policing Ser- vices Foundation, Inc. He looks like a cop and tries to talk like one too. His email has a number for his “dispatch.” His em- ployees have what look like standard issue police uniforms. Again, there are the handcuffs, badges and firearms. A YouTube video posted on the group’s Facebook page, emblazoned with a police-like badge, refers to him as “Chief” Singleton. During a missing-person case in Crystal, Singleton spoke on television like he was law enforcement. “We had an individual that dressed up to try to identify himself as a police officer, and tried to insert himself into the Barway Col- lins case. In fact, members of the media put him on TV to talk about the case,” said the sponsor of the bill to stop people from imper- sonating peace officers. He was backed up by a letter from Crystal chief of police Stephanie Revering. “I am concerned about individuals such as David Singleton acting in a man- ner that leads the commu- nity to believe he has a law enforcement role,” Rever- ing wrote. “It is difficult to discern a reason for this dress other than to lead oth- ers to believe that you have some authority as a police officer.” But “chief” Singleton says there are some in law en- forcement that don’t appre- ciate civilian security guards as much as they should. “There is a certain faction in law enforcement that does not support citizen police groups, citizen assist groups, whatever you want to call them.” One sure sign of a non-cop is when he or she doesn’t even know what to call their own organization. In this case, the “Minnesota Com- munity Policing Services Foundation, Inc.” But the security guards come cheap and that’s why we’re seeing such an expan- sion of “security services” as police departments and sheriffs offices see more layoffs, attrition, budget cuts and for smaller agencies – elimination. Why it’s so dangerous: “You bet I’m a real cop. Just check out the hat and these handcuffs. If you want to go for a ride I can show you some really cool stuff on the internet.” We just can’t stop fake cops Maybe all those lobbyists and bought politicians can explain it? David A. Singleton is not a police chief, but no one seems to care.