Questions about plates that you don't rate...

[Sleepsnoors]

Hey guys, just a quick question to LEO. Here's the story.... I have a co-worker who likes to tell other people he's a LEO, he even has a LAPD volunteer badge that he tries to pass off as a real badge by covering the volunteer word of the badge with his fingers. But that's not the question, my thing is this, he has fireman plates on his car when he is not one at all. He has also told others his father used to be a fireman, when he himself has an accent so thick it's hard to understand him. Now my questions is it illegal to have those plates?

[Cpl. Haas]

You need to call the number listed on this webpage and tell them about your co-worker and how he's using his volunteer badge. In case the page doesn't load, the number is (213) 485-1486... that's LAPD IAG. It sounds like your co-worker is committing a misdemeanor under 538d PC.

[Mr310]

Are these exempt plates or the ones like you see veterans have that are ordered through the DMV?

[solanoshooter]

I think he's talking about these plates. http://www.cpf.org/go/cpf/serving-ou...license-plate/

Site says you have to be active an active or retired FF. Who know's how stringent DMV is on that requirement or what proof the licensee must provide. I do know that a couple of our dispatchers have them on their POVs.

[Notorious]

DMV has a requirement to get those FF plates, but who knows if they enforce them or if there is even a penalty to violating their requirement. Sometimes there is no enforcement mechanism or penalty attached, so there is nothing much you can do.

However, telling people he is a LAPD cop when he is only a civilian volunteer will get him kicked out of LAPD right quick. Just make a quick call to their Professional Standards people and they'll be very interested in this guy.

[Sleepsnoors]

Copy all! Just called the California Fire Foundation. I'm going to try to get some solid, hard copy facts before calling IAG. I don't want to look like an ***. Thank you again gents.

[sleeper2020]

I work in Contract Corrections on a USMS contract, deal with federal inmates (or detainees) all day. Been doing it since I got out of the Marines. I have worked with a few of these kind of guys lol. They usually dont last long. Most of them are young and dont understand what the purpose of a correctional officer is in the first place, let alone the role of contract correctional officer. They want to be cops so bad that they begin to think they are. I had one guy who bought a white crown vic had a lightbar, wigwags, and put a cage in it. The only thing I could think of was that he was a little unstable. I tried talking to him as at the time I was a Sgt. I basically told him that just because we do the same job as BOP or CDCR does not mean that we are. He never listened and ended up getting pinched for impersonating a police officer, he pulled over a woman who happened to be a SDSO lol.

[Notorious]

These idiots don't get it. It's not all fun and games. T-stops are one of the most unpredictable and dangerous things we can do out there. Most of the guys don't do traffic unless they are looking for something. Nobody I know does traffic for fun unless you are a traffic guy.

One of these days, a whacker is going to do one and it's going to be some violent offender who doesn't want to be caught and the whacker will pay for it with his life.

[eltee]

If the car is his father's, and his father is a retired FF, he may be within the law. The FF plates do not permit any special privileges as far as I can recall. If I drive my uncle's car with his disabled plates on it, it is fine unless I try to use the plates for special parking privileges. If the car is his and he fraudulently obtained the FF plates, that might be something you can contact the DMV investigators about.

Re. the flashing of a badge (I presume you mean an ID card and not a metal badge?) it is pretty common. Lots of affiliates (CSO's, cadets, police Explorer Scouts, clerks, volunteers, etc.) like to display their ID, esp. if it looks like a sworn officer's ID. Sometimes harmless showing off or trying to impress people, sometimes not harmless. Usually agencies will warn affiliates not to use the ID's in a way that people would believe they are LEO's and sometimes there is a written policy against it.

Since you said that the ID issue was not the question, I suppose you could let it be. If you like him or at least tolerate him as a co-worker, you might just want to give him a heads up.

[Sleepsnoors]

Thanks for clearing it up eltee. He's an older guy say in his 30's with a very think accent, so he's not going into LEO anytime soon. From what I know, he' used to have an LAPD volunteer badge where he would cover the volunteer part with his finger. That was a few years ago from what I have learned. I do not know if he still has that badge in his possession. I think he carries some type of a bounty hunter type of ID/badge and something to do with parking enforcement items in his bag.

I know he's actually told people he's 1) an LAPD office, 2) an LAPD detective, 3) Pasadena PD, 4) Hungtington Park PD, 5) he's an specialized crime scene investigator who they only call if they can't crack a case, 6) he's a Marine who "was in Somalia who lost a lot of good men," (This rages me on since I'm prior service, USMC) .... and that's all I can think of for now. He's the overall D-bag if you ask me. This is all past stuff and I'm just focusing on now, which are those plates.

I just have a thing for guys who like to tell tall tail stories for their own ego or trying to get some false glory. I mean I've deployed, but I've never been in a firefight or shot my rifle at anyone. I was a Radio Operator who did quite a bit now that I think about it, but I never told any 'war stories.' If I did, it would be about me kicking *** in Halo 2 when we had down time. (It's good to be in a HQ unit)
Hey thanks for you input gents! I'll let you know what happens.

[FalconLair]

Thanks for clearing it up eltee. He's an older guy say in his 30's

wow you just made me feel ancient

[retired]

wow you just made me feel ancient

How do you think I feel; I just turned 62. Older than the mountains I guess.

[eltee]

How do you think I feel; I just turned 62. Older than the mountains I guess.

I, too, am 62. Just filed for Social Security. It still feels funny getting a "senior discount" at places, but it sort of makes up for the loss of a "police discount."

For the OP, I personally know guys who entered the academy at 55 or older, so 30-ish does not preclude someone from signing on.

[Dee_Dub]

I have plates personalized plates. When I went to pick them up at DMV I had to show them my work ID before they would give me the plates to make sure i was legit.

[Sleepsnoors]

wow you just made me feel ancient

Oh no, I didn't mean it that way! I just ment it for him. Sorry guys, new round is on me!