IMPERSONATING A PEACE OFFICER (PRETENDING TO BE AN OFFICER)
It is illegal for a person to pretend to be a police or other peace officer and trick someone to do or rely on something because they believe you are an officer. A real peace officer has the power, also known as authority, that is given to them by their office (A.R.S. §13-2411).
WHAT IS A PEACE OFFICER?
A peace officer is a broad term that covers all different types of law enforcement which includes offices like your local police or sheriff's office. These officers all swear to uphold the law and keep the peace but they do so for different jurisdictions, or areas. For example police officers protect cities and sheriff's protect counties. A peace officer can also include other people whose primary responsibility is to keep law enforcement in the area. (A.R.S §1-215(27))
WHAT IS THE PUNISHMENT FOR IMPERSONATING A PEACE OFFICER?
Pretending to be a peace officer is a class 6 felony unless it is done while committing another listed crime then it is a class 4 felony. The list of crimes can be found under A.R.S. §13-2411(C).
Laws may have changed since the last time this article was updated. The current and most up-to-date laws can be accessed here.