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. 

Human trafficking is a large and complicated world problem that can affect a single person or a large group of people; but no matter the type of trafficking certain signs are always apparent. Below are a list of common signs of a trafficked person that could help you distinguish if your friend is being trafficked.

• Not free to go as he/she wishes

  If your friend is constantly acting like they are being watched, no longer goes to places they used to or has a drastically changed their habits these can be warning signs that your friend is being trafficked.

• Is fearful, anxious, depressed

  If a person is being constantly controlled by another person they may exhibit signs of being fearful, withdrawn or anxious.

• Signs of not eating enough or physical abuse

  Physical abuse such as bruises or other marks on a person or not eating, and dropping significant amounts of weight are other signs that a person may be being trafficked.

• Unable to say where he/she has been staying or have unexplained absences

  A person who is being trafficked often will not be able to tell you where they are staying or where they have been. They may claim it is a secret or that the person asking doesn't need to know.

• New tattoo

  Pimps often tattoo, sometimes with a bar code or the word "Daddy", or brand the people they traffic as a way to claim the person as their "property".
  Obviously, getting a tattoo or being depressed alone may not be a sign of human trafficking. But, if your friend shows some of the signs above and you are concerned about them try talk to them and if that doesn't work talk to a trusted adult or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1(888) 373-7888 to decide what you should do next.

^{“7 Ways to Spot that Someone is Being Trafficked.” CNN, 5 Aug. 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/30/travel/human-trafficking-at-airports/. Accessed 6 Jan. 2016. “At Risk Warning Signs for Child Sex Trafficking.” Thorn, 13 June 2014, https://www.wearethorn.org/blog/risk-warning-signs-for-child-sex-trafficking/. Accessed 6 Jan. 2016. “Recognize the Signs.” Polaris, https://polarisproject.org/recognize-signs. Accessed 6 Jan. 2016.}

Cyberbullying is unwanted and repeated aggressive behavior involving the use of power that’s intended to hurt or control another person that takes place through electronic technology.

Examples of electronic technology are devices such as cell phones and computers and communication tools such as social media and instant messaging applications.

In other words, it is being mean to another individual over and over again by using social media, phones and computers. It means spreading rumors, pictures or videos on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram or sending mean texts or emails to another person.