police
Verifying LEO status online
<p>Is it possible to verify (online) if a Florida neighbor is an active Law enforcement officer? Is there a single agency in which all Florida LEO must register?</p>

<p>The neighbor claims to be a law enforcement officer, however, history indicates that one can not take him at his word.</p>

<p>Try the phone or email contacts at <a href="http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/cms/home.aspx" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Florida Department of Law Enforcement - Home</a>.</p>

<p>The state of Florida doesn't appear to maintain a statewide officer registry, but that department should be able to verify someone is or isn't a officer in conjunction with the police department closest to your location.</p>

<p>If this neighbor is threatening or attempting to enforce the law while not showing ID that proves he/she is an officer, that's serious, and you should call the local police department.</p>

<p>Talking about being a LEO while drinking beer at a BBQ is less serious, but still could be a third degree felony.</p>

<p>See <a href="http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&amp;URL=0800-0899/0843/Sections/0843.08.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Statutes &amp; Constitution - Florida State Statutes</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>843.08 False personation.—A person who falsely assumes or pretends to be a firefighter, sheriff, officer of the Florida Highway Patrol,
  officer of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, fire or
  arson investigator of the Department of Financial Services, officer of
  the Department of Financial Services, officer of the Department of
  Corrections, correctional probation officer, deputy sheriff, state
  attorney or assistant state attorney, statewide prosecutor or
  assistant statewide prosecutor, state attorney investigator, coroner,
  police officer, lottery special agent or lottery investigator,
  beverage enforcement agent, or watchman, or any member of the Florida
  Commission on Offender Review and any administrative aide or
  supervisor employed by the commission, or any personnel or
  representative of the Department of Law Enforcement, or a federal law
  enforcement officer as defined in s. 901.1505, and takes upon himself
  or herself to act as such, or to require any other person to aid or
  assist him or her in a matter pertaining to the duty of any such
  officer, commits a felony of the third degree,</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Usually a District Attorney's or Sheriff's office will keep a list of all active law enforcement officers in their jurisdiction.  However, those lists are treated with extreme discretion because they include the identities of officers on undercover assignments.  For that reason, you cannot generally confirm whether an arbitrary individual is a law enforcement officer.</p>

<p>However, in the case that an individual claims to be an officer, just ask, "Which agency?"  Then call the agency.  Since the individual is clearly not undercover the agency would generally either confirm the claim or else likely be very interested in deterring or prosecuting the false official impersonation.</p>
