There’s some goofy video going around, claiming to be two federal agents investigating someone.

(A friend posted the video.)

I have never heard of any LEO not identifying himself, but I also grew up near the border.

(The local LEOs are more concerned about being mistaken for cartel members, than for making any “surprise” arrests/serving no-knock warrants/making traffic stops in unmarked cars, etc…)

Are you referring to the "FBI" guys that refused to produce ID in front of a guys house?

When I was a cop I was usually in a professional uniform, sometimes we wore an IZOD with a badge embroidered on it and BDU pants when we were doing bike detail. Our detectives wore plain clothes from a shirt with tie and slacks to the IZOD and jeans, but we always had a badge and credentials. And by policy had to have business cards on us.

If anyone had ever asked to see my credentials I would have shown them to the party and given them a business card.

I worked at a 120 person department in a town with 50k population in eastern NC.

I would not have refused to ID upon a citizen requesting it. I might not have given it to him physically, but would have held it open for him to examine.

I’ve seen the video you mention and I’d have walked away when they refused to show their credentials. Probably back inside and phoned the local PD to tell them there were people outside professing to be FBI agents and they have no IDs.

Once "FBI" is said, I stop talking, even if I'm not involved.

Why?

Ask General Flynn.

I worked in plain clothes for a few years. I always showed my ID, didn't have to be asked..

I fully understand not giving a badge/ID to someone.

Cannot see a reason why a LEO wouldn’t at least provide a badge number etc.

Never met one who didn’t either have a name, or give it, immediately.

And yes, that video is the one which I think is BS. (Well, either it’s BS, or that entire department needs to be subjected to termination and review/rehiring.)

I work in uniform. I always carry ID as well, but don't recall ever being asked for it on duty. I've produced it a couple of times when I've had to respond to something off-duty in plainclothes.

People (typically the belligerent type who have been caught in some sort of criminal activity) regularly demand my "name and badge number" as if they think doing so will somehow intimidate me into not doing my job. We don't have badge numbers, but I am always happy to provide my name and unit number (it's not like it's a big secret, anyway...we're on half a dozen cameras, we're all listed on the call in the CAD, our locations are GPS monitored, and my name is right on the front of my vest). I typically find that doing so takes the wind right out of their sails because they expected some kind of angry or resistant response that they could use against me, and when they don't get it they don't know what to do.

I'm not sure why an officer who's acting righteously in an official capacity would ever hesitate to ID himself.

Slight tangent. I was approached at a rest stop in Austria by a plainclothes female cop. Someone had called me in for speeding and I happened to stop at the rest stop where their next unit was going leave to come get me. She was wearing jeans and a tight t-shirt, sunglasses and a Glock on her hip. No badge, no vest, no marked car, nothing. I saw another cop by her car who was wearing a Polizei vest with two Glocks and an earpiece. So I was pretty sure she was a cop and she did, indeed, give me a cite. But if someone with a gun on their belt and no visible badge had asked for my ID in Arizona, I'd have asked for theirs.

I'm a municipal officer working in uniform, but I don't have an ID on me. My badge number is on my badge. In 26+ years that's all I've needed. Never been asked for anything more.

If I'm not in uniform, I'll have my badge and ID in my wallet.

If requested always show it many/most times in plain clothes I’d present it when I introduced it.
However there were a few situations when we needed to snag someone, so we snagged them cuffed them and explained after.

Funny story, well actually created a lot of funny stories.
Buddy was given the badge number 911! People would get so pissed off when they asked for his badge number and he responded 911.

Rarely do I produce an ID unless asked. But, even in plain clothes, I have a badge on the belt, pistol, spare mag, and I look like a cop. I drive a vehicle that looks like a cop.

When I was a task force officer, I always showed ID first for various reasons without being asked. Generally, I was unshaven, untucked shirt, often had long hair, and didn’t look the part of police.

Context is everything.

When I was a fed we were trained that he always identify ourselves at the beginning of an encounter. Even if you were interviewing someone in jail, you introduced yourself, and showed them your credentials whether they looked at them or not. That was what was expected of us. I do the same thing now, even though I’m not a fed and not required to do so. It doesn’t seem to hurt anything. I’m not going into the hood to try and recruit a narco CI, and I’m sure as heck never going to be an undercover guy. So by continuing to identify myself in the same fashion that I have since I became an investigator, it ensures that I’ve done everything that I can to prevent mistaken identity and acted professionally to a member of the public.

No doubt this is the video in question...This encounter with two FBI Agents occurred in NH, though I'm not sure where.



https://x.com/BGatesIsaPyscho/.../1835790939442315269

When I was a cop, badge and ID was on me at all times and I carried business cards with all the information anyone could possibly need to confirm my identity and office. If asked, I flashed the tin and gave out the card.
Oh... If you belligerently demanded my "badge number" my usual response was "you should write it down, you look too stupid to remember it".
Also, I made sure I always had a nickel in my pocket. That way, when the time worn response of "I pay your salary" was trotted out, I give them the nickel and said, "no problem, here is a full refund"!

Each agency has different policies and procedures, and they are subject to change. For most of my almost 30 years, I’ve carried mi ID AND my peace officers license. I think I’ve only shown the license once upon demand (which I did not have to), and I’ve shown my ID about a handful of times while in uniform.

I also worked plainclothes, and that’s where I showed it the most. And yes, I had business cards with all the information if someone wanted to report me.

Being uniformed while on duty with a marked cruiser, I haven't been asked to produce ID. I am required to carry dept creds and produce if requested.

On temp assignments and in plain clothes, just a few times.

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:
No doubt this is the video in question...This encounter with two FBI Agents occurred in NH, though I'm not sure where.



https://x.com/BGatesIsaPyscho/.../1835790939442315269

I'm not sure what those two were there to investigate (some kind of internet post?), but it would have probably gone a long way towards getting some cooperation to simply identify themselves and show ID. They're out performing official face to face investigations, so they're clearly not under cover. Other cops ID themselves all the time, what makes the feds so special?

Also, why ask the dude to stop recording? People record me all the time, and I have zero problem with it provided they're not physically interfering with what I'm doing. I'm recording as well...make sure you get my good side! Asking somebody to stop recording and refusing to identify just reinforces the belief that you're doing something shady that you don't want to be held accountable for.

All that said, recorder guy was kinda a douchebag, too. He started out fine, but when they refused to identify he should have done exactly what he said he was going to do and just stopped talking went back in the house. Lecturing them and following them back to their car as they're trying to leave, then flipping them the bird just makes him look childish and undermines the rationality of his IMO legitimate objections.

Around here, it's pretty standard for cops to show their badges. I think it helps keep things clear, especially with all the crazy stories out there. But I guess in some places, things can get a bit sketchy.

quote:

Originally posted by Phelen_Kell:
Around here, it's pretty standard for cops to show their badges.

I don't want to see badges. I would want to see credentials (with names). Badges can be counterfeit.

Plain clothes for 19 of my 27 years in LE. I would happily display my badge and credentials. For most of the time I had no 'badge number' but had a 'personnel number' which would confuse the hell out of people. The last 8 years was for a state agency which mandated giving a business card to people who requested one. Nobody has a 'right' to hold your badge case or photograph it.

The pair in the video I would have walked away from, after the 2nd guy refused to identify. As mentioned above, having a hang badge on your belt means little as you can usually get a copy of a big city agency badge at the local swap meet.