Substitute House Bill No. 5112
          Substitute House Bill No. 5112

              PUBLIC ACT NO. 97-123


AN ACT CONCERNING IMPERSONATION OF POLICE OFFICERS
AND OTHER PUBLIC OFFICIALS.


    Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and House of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Section   1.  (NEW)   No   person,   firm   or
corporation may sell  or offer for sale a badge or
shield that identifies  the  wearer  as  holding a
specific office, title or position with a state or
local government or  the federal government unless
the purchaser presents  valid  identification that
indicates the purchaser  holds  such office, title
or position at  the time of such sale. Any person,
firm or corporation  that  violates the provisions
of this section  shall  be  guilty  of  a  class B
misdemeanor.
    Sec.  2. (NEW)  (a)  A  person  is  guilty  of
impersonation of a police officer when he pretends
to be a  sworn member of an organized local police
department or the  Division of State Police within
the  Department of  Public  Safety,  or  wears  or
displays without authority  any  uniform, badge or
shield by which  such  police  officer is lawfully
distinguished,  with  intent   to  induce  another
person  to  submit   to  such  pretended  official
authority or otherwise  to  act  in  reliance upon
that pretense.
    (b)  Impersonation  of  a  police officer is a
class D felony.
    Sec.   3.   Section  53a-130  of  the  general
statutes  is  repealed  and   the   following   is
substituted in lieu thereof:
    (a)   A   person   is   guilty   of   criminal
impersonation when he:  (1)  Impersonates  another
and does an  act  in  such  assumed character with
intent to obtain a benefit or to injure or defraud
another; or (2) pretends to be a representative of
some person or  organization  and  does  an act in
such pretended capacity  with  intent  to obtain a
benefit or to  injure  or  defraud another; or (3)
pretends to be a public servant OTHER THAN A SWORN
MEMBER OF AN  ORGANIZED LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT OR
THE DIVISION OF STATE POLICE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT
OF PUBLIC SAFETY,  or  wears  or  displays without
authority any uniform,  [or]  badge  OR  SHIELD by
which   such   public    servant    is    lawfully
distinguished, with intent  to  induce  another to
submit to such  pretended  official  authority  or
otherwise to act in reliance upon that pretense.
    (b)   Criminal  impersonation  is  a  class  B
misdemeanor.

Approved June 6, 1997