Impersonation of Police Officer

In New South Wales it is an offence to pretend to be a police officer. A person can be charged if they do or say something that gives the impression that they are a police officer. The maximum penalty is two years imprisonment and/or a fine of 10 penalty units.

The Offence of Impersonating a Police Officer

The offence of ‘Impersonation of Police Officer’ is contained in s 546D(1) of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) and states:

(1) General offence A person who impersonates a police officer is guilty of an offence.

What Actions Might Constitute Impersonation Of Police Officer?

Common examples of Impersonation of Police Officer includes:

• Dressing up in your friend’s police uniform and walking through your local shopping mall pretending you are a police officer;
• Calling someone and informing them you are a Senior Constable with the NSW Police Force; or
• Showing someone a Police Badge and telling them you are an undercover police officer.

What the Police Must Prove

To convict you of Impersonation of Police Officer, the prosecution must prove that:

• You did or said something;
• What you did or said created an impression that you are a Police Officer.

Possible defences

The most common ways to defend this charge are:

• To argue that your actions did not amount to impersonating a police officer;
• To argue that you impersonated a police officer purely for comedic or satirical purposes; or

Which court will hear your matter?

The offence of impersonating a police officer is a Summary Offence and will be finalised in the Local Court.

Penalties

Jail: This is the most serious penalty and involves full-time detention in a correctional facility. Read more.

Home Detention: As a result of amended legislation this penalty was repealed on 24 September 2018 as a standalone order but may be imposed as a condition of an Intensive Corrections Order (ICO). Home detention is an alternative to full-time imprisonment. In effect, the gaol sentence is served at your address rather than in a gaol. If you receive a sentence of home detention you will be strictly supervised and subject to electronic monitoring. Read more.

Intensive Corrections Order (ICO): This option has replaced periodic detention. The court can order you to comply with a number of conditions, such as attending counselling or treatment, not consuming alcohol, complying with a curfew and performing community service. Read more.

Suspended Sentence: As a result of amended legislation this penalty was repealed on 24 September 2018. This is a jail sentence that is suspended upon you entering into a good behaviour bond. Provided the terms of the good behaviour bond are obeyed the jail sentence will not come into effect. A suspended sentence is only available for sentences of imprisonment of up to two years. Read more.

Community Service Order (CSO): As a result of amended legislation this penalty was repealed on 24 September 2018 and replaced with a Community Corrections Order (CCO). This involves either unpaid work in the community at a place specified by probation and parole or attendance at a centre to undertake a course, such as anger management. In order to be eligible for a CSO you have to be assessed by an officer of the probation service as suitable to undertake the order. Read more.

Good Behaviour Bond: As a result of amended legislation this penalty was repealed on 24 September 2018 and replaced with a Community Corrections Order (CCO). This is an order of the court that requires you to be of good behaviour for a specified period of time. The court will impose conditions that you will have to obey during the term of the good behaviour bond. The maximum duration of a good behaviour bond is five years. Read more.

Community Corrections Orders (CCO): A CCO involves the standard conditions that an offender must not commit any offence and that the offender must appear before the court if called on to do so at any time during the term of the Community Corrections Orders (CCO). Additional conditions may be imposed at the discretion of the court, both at the time of sentence and subsequently upon application by a community corrections officer, juvenile justice officer or the offender. Read more.

Fines: When deciding the amount of a fine the magistrate or judge should consider your financial situation and your ability to pay any fine they set. Read more.

Section 10A: A section 10A is a conviction, with no other penalty attached to it. Read more.

Conditional Release Order (CRO): A CRO involves the standard conditions that an offender must not commit any offence and that the offender must appear before the court if called on to do so at any time during the term of the CRO. Read more.

Section 10 avoiding a criminal record. Normally, when you plead guilty to a criminal offence, the court imposes a penalty and records a conviction. If the court records a conviction, you will have a criminal record. However, if we can convince the court not to convict you, there will be no penalty of any type and no criminal record. In all criminal cases, the court has the discretion not to convict you, but to give you a Section 10 dismissal instead. Read more.