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Should it be illegal to wear a "POLICE" shirt?

Should it be legal or illegal for someone who is not a police office to wear a black T-Shirt that says "POLICE" across the front and back in an identical fashion as real police officer T-Shirts?

Impersonating an officer is illegal in the military. The assumed position can be abused. Ideally, someone falsly assumed to be an officer wouldn't abuse that assumption, but then human nature is factored in and someone just has to crash the party.

I created this poll because I read an article today where a guy got arrested for wearing such a shirt in a bar. The police called him outside and asked to see his police credentials. When he replied that he isn't really a cop they were pretty nasty with him verbally and then they arrested him.

In my opinion it should be totally illegal to where POLICE or SWAT shirts. This is giving people the impression that you are a police officer or SWAT officer and this should constitute impersonating a police officer. It is a slap in the face to the real police that risk their lives every day to protect society. They went through extensive training and take daily risks to wear that uniform and people should not be allowed to misrepresent themselves as being a part of the police department.

It also gives people the impression that they are in the company of a police officer so they feel safe and secure. Any way you slice it these people are wearing the shirts to deceive and this is wrong.

First, I do think that impersonating a police officer is and should be a crime.

But wait. What's this Chris said?

It also gives people the impression that they are in the company of a police officer so they feel safe and secure.

I think we need another poll here. How many people feel safe and secure in the company of a police officer?

Not to be negative or ungrateful or anything; they do put their lives on the line, as you say, and there are undoubtedly circumstances under which one would certainly be happy to see one or more of them arriving with alacrity. But... "feel safe and secure?"

I work with them sometimes and some of them are just wonderful, lovely human beings and I thank them for being willing to do what they do for the right reasons and in a spirit of very high service. But some of them are, bar none, The. Scariest. People. in the World, with really intense energy, very hard to communicate effectively with for a GentleReader9, and I'm not secure and safe every time they show up. One person's totally subjective but perhaps not totally isolated opinion.

They have a lot of power, so unquestionably, no one should be impersonating them. But... they have a lot of power, and very few human beings handle power very well all the time for all the really wide range of skills police are supposed to have. Who could do that well? Who would want to do it? Think about it.

a lot of times family members wear these shirts, and friends or girlfriends and wives too. as long as it is just that Tshirt and they are not giving a false impression I don't see any harm

Chris OConnor wrote:Any way you slice it these people are wearing the shirts to deceive and this is wrong.

I totally agree with you, Chris. Though the guy in the bar might have worn the tee shirt as a joke, there are many people out there who would try to intimidate or take advantage of people.

I agree. There are people out there that would definately take advantage. I'm also sure it's happened already but we just haven't heard about it.

What if someone with this shirt on walks up and asks you to hand over your ID, do you have to? If you don't and it IS a real cop, did you do anything wrong?

To the other question, no I do not feel safe around cops. My girlfriend was assaulted on Dec. 15th and the cop that showed up thought I was a suspect and didn't even investigate the crime, he just turned in a basic almost blank report. They are generally dumasses.

opcode wrote:

To the other question, no I do not feel safe around cops. My girlfriend was assaulted on Dec. 15th and the cop that showed up thought I was a suspect and didn't even investigate the crime, he just turned in a basic almost blank report.

I am not surprised that the context in which you formed this opinion was an assault on your girlfriend. This is exactly the kind of interaction I have with them as an advocate. Since they are used to interviewing suspects (and everyone could be one) some of them don't shift appropriately when they interview victims and their support systems. They ask for unnecessary, retraumatizing details to which they don't seem to hear the answer and don't write it down, and I have yet to see or hear most of them ever helping to ensure the safety of a survivor after she reports. Often they either make it worse by speaking to the perpetrator and not arresting or releasing without telling the survivor, or they don't follow up at all unless you bug them (or their supervisor) about it.

On the other hand, there are excellent exceptions. There is one guy at a police department in this county who will go anywhere in the county and go over a person's house or apartment to help make it more secure for free, by appointment. It's a wonderful program, but it's the good work of one individual that makes it exist. And there are a few people from the sheriff's department who are every bit as good at supporting a survivor as most of the SANEs (sexual assault nurse examiners) I have met, which is saying a lot. I wish the other departments would go through whatever training they have. In other words, it isn't everybody who abuses the power of the office, just enough to make me wary.

I think the burden of proof that the intent in wearing the T-shirt is to impesonate a police officer is and should be on the prosecutor, but if that is what the person is doing, he or she should be prosecuted.

It has now been over 2 weeks since her assault, we've called the sherriff 5 times, been to the courthouse 3 times and filed a written complaint to have them speak to us about the case. They never included what was stolen during the attack so our insurance won't cover it and we're out thousands of dollars, and we have evidence of who did the crime, but they won't listen. I hate the cops and it is one of the reasons I am going to law school, because I think (some) of them are destroying our constitution.

As far as the shirts, I am a libertarian and feel that wearing one crosses the line and steps on my rights. It can create an unnecessarily hostile or insecure environment for someone who actually needs a cop and doesn't know who to trust.

Gentle, do you go to school in OR? I am in Seattle now but heading to Lewis & Clark Law School shortly.