Former Pine Bluff Police Recruit Arrested, Caught With Badge
By: Brittney Johnson, KARK 4 News
Updated: September 13, 2012
Pine Bluff and Little Rock police are investigating the case of a man found with a PBPD badge and officer ID card, who hasn't worked for the department in nearly two years.
Pine bluff police say Courtney Rayford was hired as a police recruit but failed to make it through the academy and stopped working for the department in October of 2010. In August 2012 Rayford was found with the ID and badge, against department policy.
Looking at his own badge, Captain Greg Shapiro pointed out there's nothing fancy about his department's ID cards.
"'It doesn't have security features like a state of Arkansas driver's license," he said.
Little Rock police arrested Courtney Rayford for driving a car with stolen tags August 23rd and they say they found a similar badge and ID card in the passenger pouch of his vehicle.
"It's obviously a concern that any individual would keep something like that or get extra copies of something like that they could use to identify as an officer," Captain Shapiro said.
LRPD spokesperson Sgt. Cassandra Davis says it's an unusual find.
"That is not routine or normal to find an individual that has a police badge," she explained.
In the police report it's not clear what Rayford intended to do with the ID. Pine Bluff police claim they did their part to retrieve the items.
"What we signed out to the employee when he was hired we collected from the employee when the employment was over,"
Rayford declined our request for an interview but told KARK the department did not retrieve his ID or badge and that he simply forgot he had them.
Currently, he is not facing charges for impersonating an officer, both departments are still looking into the incident. Pine Bluff police say they are getting the badge and ID to confirm whether they really belong to their department or if the items are duplicates.
Pine bluff police say Courtney Rayford was hired as a police recruit but failed to make it through the academy and stopped working for the department in October of 2010. In August 2012 Rayford was found with the ID and badge, against department policy.
Looking at his own badge, Captain Greg Shapiro pointed out there's nothing fancy about his department's ID cards.
"'It doesn't have security features like a state of Arkansas driver's license," he said.
Little Rock police arrested Courtney Rayford for driving a car with stolen tags August 23rd and they say they found a similar badge and ID card in the passenger pouch of his vehicle.
"It's obviously a concern that any individual would keep something like that or get extra copies of something like that they could use to identify as an officer," Captain Shapiro said.
LRPD spokesperson Sgt. Cassandra Davis says it's an unusual find.
"That is not routine or normal to find an individual that has a police badge," she explained.
In the police report it's not clear what Rayford intended to do with the ID. Pine Bluff police claim they did their part to retrieve the items.
"What we signed out to the employee when he was hired we collected from the employee when the employment was over,"
Rayford declined our request for an interview but told KARK the department did not retrieve his ID or badge and that he simply forgot he had them.
Currently, he is not facing charges for impersonating an officer, both departments are still looking into the incident. Pine Bluff police say they are getting the badge and ID to confirm whether they really belong to their department or if the items are duplicates.
