Many companies such as transit security and others, sometimes referred to as rent-a-cops, may require identification. In creating badges for your employees, it is important that you make sure of the laws regarding police badges to prevent criminal charges. Here are some of the laws regarding the wearing of police badges.
According to the Federal Law (HR 4827, Law #106-547) that discusses the possession of fake police badges:
- A person that has produced of Fake police badges and transports it into another country or state is illegal
- An unauthorized person who produces fake police badges and wears it to impersonate a cop, and knowingly makes use of the police badges' power in trading or businesses is illegal
- Police badges could only be used in business exclusively by policemen
- The usage of a fake police badge could entitle a person to spend at least 6 months in prison or paid bail for the act
- Fake police badges could only be used in theatrical presentations within the area of show, television and dramatic production, and any recreational purpose and entertainment reasons alone
- Police badges that are not approved by your local office to hold law enforcement powers could not be used in public places
- Retired policemen could keep their I.D. police badges with the knowledge that it would not be used as an enforcement tool to the public
- The presentation of the fake police badges to the public and advertising any agency you claim to be a member of could serve you time in jail.
1. Design Your Own Police Badge
Consider copying the design of your local police badge (given the presumption that it would not be used in public). You could have pictures taken using a digital camera and place it into your computer. Print your photo directly onto the card by means of a printer ribbon. You could make use of a specialty ink jet printer. Or you could develop your pictures on your nearest digital service store.
The color of your police badges could vary in type. It could be full color or monochromatic. You could choose if you want to print on both the sides or not. You could print your badges manually or with specialty printing equipment that could print it automatically.
2. Select Your Size
The size of the card you could use in making your custom police badges would depend on the type of printing you would make use. Printing equipment is important because the output of your badges would rely largely on the quality of the printers. Printers that qualify for specialty printing of I.D. badges are Fargo, Zebra and Canon.
3. Determine Needed Information To Dispay
The content of your custom police badge would depend on your preference. Although duplicating of social security numbers and names that exist on law enforcements offers is illegal, it is safer to make use of bogus names or your own name and information. A police badge is not complete without the signature of the bearer. Make sure that your signature is printed into the card - whichever side of it you prefer. It is essential that you create a layout when creating badges for multiple persons to ensure they are all identical and thus easily identifyable.
4. Other Accessories
If you use a bar code system, or thumb marking system, that can be placed onto the badge as well. Although it would give you more work in designing the card.
It is a good idea to practice your oral board answers, but what tools can you use to do that -- and what tools give you an edge?
A video camera is a great tool. You need to see how you look to other people. What better way is there to get a good look at yourself? How about standing in front of a mirror? Both of these tools help you check out how you appear to others, but both miss the most important aspect of your oral board answers -- what you say and how you sound when you say it.
Only one tool can give you what you need when you practice: a hand-held tape recorder.
Think about it. The Oral Board, you talking, and the officers on the board listening. That spotless police badge you want to wear hinges on you picking up a tape recorder and hearing what is going to come out of your mouth in that unbelievably important situation.
I was contacted by a coaching candidate recently. He had made it to some oral boards and one Chief's Oral, but had not been successful. Now, an invitation to the LAPD oral board had been offered, so he wanted to set up a private coaching session.
After a few moments of talking with him, I was aware of something critical that was probably missing in his previous preparations. I asked him if he used a tape recorder to practice. He hemmed and hawed and finally, like 99% of the candidates I interview, said, "Well, no. But, I am thinking about it."
I told him to use a tape recorder to hear how he sounded. After trying this, he got the message -- his answers were garbage.
Applicants want a badge so bad they will do nearly anything ethically and morally to get it, except to use the most effective preparation tool around.
For some reason, they do not get how valuable using a tape recorder is for practicing your answers. You can get your timing, inflection, and volume down pat, see where to cut material and how many uhs and duhs fill the pauses -- and last, but not least, to see if you sound like Donald Duck.
To be successful at the police oral boards, you need to get married to your hand-held tape recorder. You need to hear what the oral board members are going to hear. That little tape recorder will narrow the distance between you and the badge you want so badly.
The first thing a candidate says when he hears his voice on a tape recorder is always, That's not me! Well, yessir, it is you. And if you want it to sound different, glue that hand held tape recorder to your palm and practice, practice, practice.
Guys prepare for the Police Oral Boards by thinking about their answers and then writing them down. For some reason, they think that because they wrote them down, their answers will magically come rolling out of their mouths in the oral board. But, trust me, they will not! Your brain and mouth just don't work that way.
If you want to prepare by writing something down, try this:
Write down your oral board questions on some 3x5 cards. You can use the Top 20 Asked Police Oral Board Questions found at PoliceExam911.com.
Practice your answers with the tape recorder.
Play back your recorded answers. If you hear something you don't like, write it down on the back of the 3x5 card with that question.
The next time you are ready to answer that question, turn the card over first to remind yourself what you do not want to say.
Let me tell you how critical this is. If you are not using a tape recorder to practice, practice, practice -- rehearse, rehearse, rehearse -- learning your material until it becomes second nature to you, you may as well not show up for your oral board.
If you do not spend serious time burning your presentation and your answers into your brain, you are wasting the oral board's time and your time! Stop the madness and seek out another career. One problem though, you have to interview for other jobs too.
The candidate above has already lost some great opportunities. Had he faithfully used a tape recorder to prepare for his oral boards, he might have already begun his police career.
Some candidates think that if they practice too much their answers will sound canned. But, NO, it won't! Practice will make sure your answers are planned, complete, and as perfect as possible.
Practice makes permanent.
Luck is preparation meeting opportunity. One practice session with a tape recorder is worth speaking something out loud 10 times. Practice gets you to a point where your answers sink into your subconscious, and that is where the magic begins. Practice won't let you be fooled.
I believe practicing with a tape recorder is so important that I will not coach a candidate if they are not using one. It is a waste of my time and their money.
Believe me, your competition knows the value of using a tape recorder and they will fly past you, if you're not using one too.
After 22 years of police experience, here's what I know -- to properly prepare to audition for the position of police officer, you must use a tape recorder.
Practice, practice, practice and you will have the power to catapult yourself into the Olympic Camp of law enforcement. You will have a great shot at the badge -- and the chance to be one of the true American heroes.
So, instead of posting on bulletin boards to find out where others stand in the testing process for this city, or that county, ask yourself this question:
What am I doing to prepare for the most important part of the hiring process -- the Police Oral Board?
If your answer isn't the right answer, you may never pass the oral board, or score high enough on the list, to wear a badge. Never! Ever!
So, where is your tape recorder?
Miniature police badge lapel pins are a wonderful tool for educating the
children of our local schools the important role of the people who serve our
community. Lapel pins that are created from the police badges are incredibly realistic
and are exacting in detail, dimension and colors, just like the real thing!
Remember as a child when you took that first airplane ride and as you entered the
plane the flight attendant gave you the pilots wings lapel pin? you were so proud
and from that point on wanted to become a Pilot. The exact same thing applies
when a Police Officer hands a miniature lapel pin to a child, the respect of
that child towards that officer is immediate. The child places the lapel pin
on his shirt and from that day forward dreams of becoming a respectable Police Officer.
Police departments in our community often present programs to our schools for such
things as drug awareness resistance education (DARE) and anti bullying, gang awareness
and even internet predators. Lapel pins produced for these programs are given away
by the instructor and worn by the children, what a perfect way to get a message across!
Miniature badge lapel pins are created and offered as a very inexpensive item usually
around the .90 per piece area. The badges (lapel pins) are reproduced including the
same colors as the authentic badge and the stamping of the badge is highly intricate
replicating the lines leaves, buildings, and even the texturing in the background.
Many companies produce these item and on in particular in B2 Promotions, Inc. the web sit is http://www.b2promo.com and another company is http://www.lapelpinsandbadges.com call them using the toll free number 888-277-6662 and they will be glad to offer prices and process recommendations.