sting6996
01-28-2009, 07:21 AM
I just wanted to share this with you guys.I think this is HI-Larious!:D
http://www.suntimes.com/index.html
January 25, 2009
Teen posing as a Chicago cop charged as juvenile
BY LISA DONOVAN Staff Reporter ldonovan@suntimes.com
A 14-year-old boy, dressed from head to toe in a regulation uniform, fooled Chicago Police into assigning him to traffic patrol Saturday -- his true identity only discovered toward the end of the shift.
This is the third time Vincent Richardson, an eighth- grader at Gillespie Elementary, has run afoul of the law by impersonating a cop, said his mother, Veronica Brock.
"Ever since he was 5 years old, he's wanted to be a police officer. I don't know why. But his whole life, his favorite [television] show has been 'Cops,'" she said, noting that mental health evaluations have shown that her son is healthy.
Embarrassed Chicago Police brass said at a Sunday news conference that while the teen meant no harm and wasn't carrying a gun, he had nonetheless discovered a security breach, and an internal investigation is under way.
About 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Vincent, dressed in a skull cap with the Chicago Police Department logo, blue cargo pants, sweater, blue uniform shirt, ****ey, black vest and black boots, walked into the Grand Crossing District station at 7040 S. Cottage Grove "to report for duty," Assistant Police Supt. James Jackson said.
Vincent was paired with a veteran police officer, and they went on traffic patrol for the next five hours.
"The senior officer was in full control of the squad car at all times," Jackson said. The teen never interacted with the public and did not write traffic citations -- a police report that is counter to Vincent's story, his mother said. The boy said he went on 10 calls, one involving domestic violence, Brock said.
When the two returned to the police station, a sergeant noticed Vincent wasn't wearing a "star" or badge, and the interrogation began. ''The subject fabricated stories and could not answer why he did not have his star," Jackson said. The teen was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor count of impersonating a police officer.
Vincent was part of a youth police explorer program in the Englewood Police District in 2008 where he became familiar with the Police Department, authorities said. Still, it's unclear where he got the uniform and how he tricked officers into putting him to work.
Questioned about the teen's maturity, his mother said: "He's about 5-foot-5, 5-foot-6, 150 pounds -- he looks like a little man."
Vincent is expected to appear before a Juvenile Court judge this morning.
**********************************
January 26, 2009
Pastor: Boy who impersonated cop crying for help
ON PATROL FOR 5 HOURS | Teen fascinated by police work: minister
BY MAUREEN O'DONNELL Staff Reporter/modonnell@suntimes.com
The 14-year-old boy accused of impersonating a Chicago Police officer looked smaller than anybody else in court when he appeared before a judge Monday.
The wiry boy stood about 5 foot 3. His ears stuck out as if he still had to grow into them.
Vincent Richardson pleaded not guilty, and Cook County Judge Andrew Berman ordered him held in juvenile detention and requested a psychological exam. His minister said the boy is infatuated with police work and has dressed up as an officer twice before -- and was on probation for one of those cases.
The ruse began Saturday, a prosecutor said, when the youth showed up -- wearing a uniform -- at the Grand Crossing District, saying he was a Calumet officer assigned to traffic patrol in Grand Crossing. He signed out a radio and joined an officer in a patrol car, Assistant State's Attorney Jennifer Rutkowski said.
"He said he was bored and didn't have anything to do," his mother, Veronica Brock, said. "He just did it."
He went out on traffic patrol for five hours, police said. Brock said Richardson went on 10 calls, including one domestic. His act was discovered when he returned to the station and a suspicious sergeant asked him his identity, police said.
In December 2007, officers stopped the boy as he walked near 61st and Racine, dressed in a police uniform, said his minister, the Rev. Roosevelt Watkins. Last month, he was found walking around Ford City mall dressed as an officer, Watkins said.
The police clothing he wore Saturday was bought at a uniform store on Roosevelt Road, he said.
Part of Monday's hearing was taken up by the list of police gear the youth allegedly had when he was taken into custody: a handcuff case and keys; a baton holder; a firearm holder, badge and a police cap and sweater, Rutkowski said. He stuffed a vest with magazines to resemble body armor, she said.
His minister said the boy needs help, likening him to the master impersonator played by Leonardo DiCaprio in "Catch Me if You Can."
"It's 'Help Me If You Can,' " Watkins said.
The boy loves TV's "Cops" and video games where police nab criminals, Watkins said. He has participated in police cadet programs that taught him the rudiments of police work and "the lingo," Watkins said.
His ruse left the Chicago Police Department embarrassed over what they labeled an "egregious breach in security."
Mayor Daley tried to avoid commenting on it Monday, but gave a hint to his mind-set.
"You should have heard me yesterday about that one," Daley said.
**************************************
January 28, 2009
Daley wants accountability for teen impersonating cop
Teen even drove squad car, source says
It looks like heads will roll in the mysterious case of that 14-year-old alleged police impersonator who has provided fresh comic fodder for late-night talk show hosts.
Mayor Daley demanded accountability Tuesday -- and Police Supt. Jody Weis vowed to deliver it -- from police supervisors accused of negligence that paved the way for the impersonator's great adventure.
"What a sad comment. You pay a sergeant x-amount of money. You pay the field lieutenant x-amount of money. These are managers for the Police Department in that district. They have the responsibility to answer all the questions concerning how this person could do this. He's only 14 years old," the mayor said of the suspect.
The boy's mother identified him as eighth-grader Vincent Richardson, who she said pulled the stunt because he was bored.
One source said he was told the teenager "coded a couple of assignments," meaning he used police codes to let a dispatcher know how he and his "partner" were handling particular calls. The source said he also was told the teen was allowed to drive the squad car.
"Where is the desk sergeant, the field lieutenant, the captain on duty? That will be required for Jody Weis and others to thoroughly investigate," the mayor fumed.
Weis was out of town attending a conference of big city police chiefs. But he released a statement saying he "shares the mayor's concerns" about the "embarrassing" security breach.
"I'm also concerned about the breakdown in department directives concerning watch assignments, roll calls and inspection of personnel in uniform. Watch commanders are personally responsible to ensure that the uniform equipment and appearance of personnel conform to the standards established in the department directive," Weis said.
In the wake of the hoax, the department has called and sent a letter to all uniform vendors reminding them they cannot sell uniforms or equipment to anyone who does not show a star and police identification.
Supervisors have also been reminding about roll call procedures and how to keep better track of their officers.
Also, all security cameras --both private and city -- and emergency transmission tapes are being reviewed to track the teen accused of impersonating the officer.
A former member of the "police explorer" youth program who was infatuated with police work, Richardson is accused of getting dressed in a regulation police uniform on Saturday, walking into the Grand Crossing station and announcing that he was a Calumet officer assigned to traffic patrol there.
He signed out a police radio and joined another officer in a patrol car for five hours, police and Assistant State's Attorney Jennifer Rutkowski said Monday.
http://www.suntimes.com/index.html
January 25, 2009
Teen posing as a Chicago cop charged as juvenile
BY LISA DONOVAN Staff Reporter ldonovan@suntimes.com
A 14-year-old boy, dressed from head to toe in a regulation uniform, fooled Chicago Police into assigning him to traffic patrol Saturday -- his true identity only discovered toward the end of the shift.
This is the third time Vincent Richardson, an eighth- grader at Gillespie Elementary, has run afoul of the law by impersonating a cop, said his mother, Veronica Brock.
"Ever since he was 5 years old, he's wanted to be a police officer. I don't know why. But his whole life, his favorite [television] show has been 'Cops,'" she said, noting that mental health evaluations have shown that her son is healthy.
Embarrassed Chicago Police brass said at a Sunday news conference that while the teen meant no harm and wasn't carrying a gun, he had nonetheless discovered a security breach, and an internal investigation is under way.
About 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Vincent, dressed in a skull cap with the Chicago Police Department logo, blue cargo pants, sweater, blue uniform shirt, ****ey, black vest and black boots, walked into the Grand Crossing District station at 7040 S. Cottage Grove "to report for duty," Assistant Police Supt. James Jackson said.
Vincent was paired with a veteran police officer, and they went on traffic patrol for the next five hours.
"The senior officer was in full control of the squad car at all times," Jackson said. The teen never interacted with the public and did not write traffic citations -- a police report that is counter to Vincent's story, his mother said. The boy said he went on 10 calls, one involving domestic violence, Brock said.
When the two returned to the police station, a sergeant noticed Vincent wasn't wearing a "star" or badge, and the interrogation began. ''The subject fabricated stories and could not answer why he did not have his star," Jackson said. The teen was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor count of impersonating a police officer.
Vincent was part of a youth police explorer program in the Englewood Police District in 2008 where he became familiar with the Police Department, authorities said. Still, it's unclear where he got the uniform and how he tricked officers into putting him to work.
Questioned about the teen's maturity, his mother said: "He's about 5-foot-5, 5-foot-6, 150 pounds -- he looks like a little man."
Vincent is expected to appear before a Juvenile Court judge this morning.
**********************************
January 26, 2009
Pastor: Boy who impersonated cop crying for help
ON PATROL FOR 5 HOURS | Teen fascinated by police work: minister
BY MAUREEN O'DONNELL Staff Reporter/modonnell@suntimes.com
The 14-year-old boy accused of impersonating a Chicago Police officer looked smaller than anybody else in court when he appeared before a judge Monday.
The wiry boy stood about 5 foot 3. His ears stuck out as if he still had to grow into them.
Vincent Richardson pleaded not guilty, and Cook County Judge Andrew Berman ordered him held in juvenile detention and requested a psychological exam. His minister said the boy is infatuated with police work and has dressed up as an officer twice before -- and was on probation for one of those cases.
The ruse began Saturday, a prosecutor said, when the youth showed up -- wearing a uniform -- at the Grand Crossing District, saying he was a Calumet officer assigned to traffic patrol in Grand Crossing. He signed out a radio and joined an officer in a patrol car, Assistant State's Attorney Jennifer Rutkowski said.
"He said he was bored and didn't have anything to do," his mother, Veronica Brock, said. "He just did it."
He went out on traffic patrol for five hours, police said. Brock said Richardson went on 10 calls, including one domestic. His act was discovered when he returned to the station and a suspicious sergeant asked him his identity, police said.
In December 2007, officers stopped the boy as he walked near 61st and Racine, dressed in a police uniform, said his minister, the Rev. Roosevelt Watkins. Last month, he was found walking around Ford City mall dressed as an officer, Watkins said.
The police clothing he wore Saturday was bought at a uniform store on Roosevelt Road, he said.
Part of Monday's hearing was taken up by the list of police gear the youth allegedly had when he was taken into custody: a handcuff case and keys; a baton holder; a firearm holder, badge and a police cap and sweater, Rutkowski said. He stuffed a vest with magazines to resemble body armor, she said.
His minister said the boy needs help, likening him to the master impersonator played by Leonardo DiCaprio in "Catch Me if You Can."
"It's 'Help Me If You Can,' " Watkins said.
The boy loves TV's "Cops" and video games where police nab criminals, Watkins said. He has participated in police cadet programs that taught him the rudiments of police work and "the lingo," Watkins said.
His ruse left the Chicago Police Department embarrassed over what they labeled an "egregious breach in security."
Mayor Daley tried to avoid commenting on it Monday, but gave a hint to his mind-set.
"You should have heard me yesterday about that one," Daley said.
**************************************
January 28, 2009
Daley wants accountability for teen impersonating cop
Teen even drove squad car, source says
It looks like heads will roll in the mysterious case of that 14-year-old alleged police impersonator who has provided fresh comic fodder for late-night talk show hosts.
Mayor Daley demanded accountability Tuesday -- and Police Supt. Jody Weis vowed to deliver it -- from police supervisors accused of negligence that paved the way for the impersonator's great adventure.
"What a sad comment. You pay a sergeant x-amount of money. You pay the field lieutenant x-amount of money. These are managers for the Police Department in that district. They have the responsibility to answer all the questions concerning how this person could do this. He's only 14 years old," the mayor said of the suspect.
The boy's mother identified him as eighth-grader Vincent Richardson, who she said pulled the stunt because he was bored.
One source said he was told the teenager "coded a couple of assignments," meaning he used police codes to let a dispatcher know how he and his "partner" were handling particular calls. The source said he also was told the teen was allowed to drive the squad car.
"Where is the desk sergeant, the field lieutenant, the captain on duty? That will be required for Jody Weis and others to thoroughly investigate," the mayor fumed.
Weis was out of town attending a conference of big city police chiefs. But he released a statement saying he "shares the mayor's concerns" about the "embarrassing" security breach.
"I'm also concerned about the breakdown in department directives concerning watch assignments, roll calls and inspection of personnel in uniform. Watch commanders are personally responsible to ensure that the uniform equipment and appearance of personnel conform to the standards established in the department directive," Weis said.
In the wake of the hoax, the department has called and sent a letter to all uniform vendors reminding them they cannot sell uniforms or equipment to anyone who does not show a star and police identification.
Supervisors have also been reminding about roll call procedures and how to keep better track of their officers.
Also, all security cameras --both private and city -- and emergency transmission tapes are being reviewed to track the teen accused of impersonating the officer.
A former member of the "police explorer" youth program who was infatuated with police work, Richardson is accused of getting dressed in a regulation police uniform on Saturday, walking into the Grand Crossing station and announcing that he was a Calumet officer assigned to traffic patrol there.
He signed out a police radio and joined another officer in a patrol car for five hours, police and Assistant State's Attorney Jennifer Rutkowski said Monday.