Legislator wants to make it harder to buy police uniforms

By Carl Chancellor
Akron Beacon Journal staff writer

POSTED: 05:28 p.m. EDT, Aug 29, 2008

Police shirt and trousers: $90; handcuffs, holster and duty belt: $110; security badge, arm patch and gold-tone nameplate: $35; impersonating a law enforcement officer: big trouble.

For less than $250, anyone who wants to dress up as a sheriff's deputy or a police officer can walk into a uniform supply store or surfuniform stores on the Internet, and buy all the items they want.

But depending on what they do with their outfits, they can land in jail.

Police are still trying to determine where a man who entered several Manchester schools on Monday got the Summit County sheriff's deputy uniform he was wearing.

A suspect, Ryan A. Worlow, 21, of Stow, is charged with impersonating a peace officer, carrying a deadly weapon in a school safety zone and criminal trespass. He is free after posting a $50,000 bond Friday in Barberton Municipal Court.

Worlow is accused of walking into Manchester High School, Manchester Middle School and Nolley Elementary School dressed as a Summit County deputy and carrying a Glock 22 40-caliber handgun.

The man who entered the schools spent substantial time interacting with students and staff.

State Rep. Stephen Dyer, D-Green, called the incident at Manchester schools ''extremely dangerous'' and announced Friday that he is working on legislation to make it illegal to buy or sell an official law-enforcement uniform without proper authorization.

''It's chilling to know that a private citizen can legally obtain an official uniform of a police agency and masquerade as an officer,'' Dyer said. ''This incident was especially disturbing because it put children at risk.''

Dyer said there is apparently no law on the books that would ''prevent anybody from getting a sheriff's uniform. . . . We must not allow this to happen.''

Dyer said he hopes to introduce his legislation next week.

Summit County Sheriff Drew Alexander said he is fully behind the proposed legislation.

''About six or seven years ago, we tried to get a similar law passed, but we didn't get anywhere,'' Alexander said.

He said the incident at the Manchester schools, while unfortunate, will probably be the spark to get a bill passed to regulate the sale of police uniforms.

''We have several incidents a year throughout the state with 'wannabes' impersonating officers,'' Alexander said.

''As it stands now, anybody can walk in and buy a uniform at any uniform shop. There are no restrictions on who can buy them. You can even buy themat flea markets.

''A police uniform opens up a ton of doors. . . . People just trust the uniform.''

Manchester Superintendent Sam Reynolds said the deputy uniform coupled with the fact that the suspect is a 2006 graduate of Manchester High School and it was the first day of classes ''made access even easier.''

New Franklin Detective Michael Korach said police are trying to determine whether other schools were entered.

''We are investigating the possibility that there are other incidents,'' said Korach, who declined to elaborate.

Cliff Franks, a salesman at Levinson's Uniforms in Cuyahoga Falls, said that his store, which has been in business since 1915, already requires purchasers to provide identification.

''We don't sell to the average guy. . . . We are here for the officers and not Joe Q. Public,'' Franks said.

Most of Levinson's customers ''come in with paperwork from their departments,'' he said. '' . . . That's our policy.''

Adding a personal note, Franks said that what happened at the Manchester schools was frightening.

''It scares me,'' he said. ''I have a 5-year-old who is just starting school.''

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Police shirt and trousers: $90; handcuffs, holster and duty belt: $110; security badge, arm patch and gold-tone nameplate: $35; impersonating a law enforcement officer: big trouble.

For less than $250, anyone who wants to dress up as a sheriff's deputy or a police officer can walk into a uniform supply store or surfuniform stores on the Internet, and buy all the items they want.

But depending on what they do with their outfits, they can land in jail.

Police are still trying to determine where a man who entered several Manchester schools on Monday got the Summit County sheriff's deputy uniform he was wearing.

A suspect, Ryan A. Worlow, 21, of Stow, is charged with impersonating a peace officer, carrying a deadly weapon in a school safety zone and criminal trespass. He is free after posting a $50,000 bond Friday in Barberton Municipal Court.

Worlow is accused of walking into Manchester High School, Manchester Middle School and Nolley Elementary School dressed as a Summit County deputy and carrying a Glock 22 40-caliber handgun.

The man who entered the schools spent substantial time interacting with students and staff.

State Rep. Stephen Dyer, D-Green, called the incident at Manchester schools ''extremely dangerous'' and announced Friday that he is working on legislation to make it illegal to buy or sell an official law-enforcement uniform without proper authorization.

''It's chilling to know that a private citizen can legally obtain an official uniform of a police agency and masquerade as an officer,'' Dyer said. ''This incident was especially disturbing because it put children at risk.''

Dyer said there is apparently no law on the books that would ''prevent anybody from getting a sheriff's uniform. . . . We must not allow this to happen.''

Dyer said he hopes to introduce his legislation next week.

Summit County Sheriff Drew Alexander said he is fully behind the proposed legislation.

''About six or seven years ago, we tried to get a similar law passed, but we didn't get anywhere,'' Alexander said.

He said the incident at the Manchester schools, while unfortunate, will probably be the spark to get a bill passed to regulate the sale of police uniforms.

''We have several incidents a year throughout the state with 'wannabes' impersonating officers,'' Alexander said.

''As it stands now, anybody can walk in and buy a uniform at any uniform shop. There are no restrictions on who can buy them. You can even buy themat flea markets.

''A police uniform opens up a ton of doors. . . . People just trust the uniform.''

Manchester Superintendent Sam Reynolds said the deputy uniform coupled with the fact that the suspect is a 2006 graduate of Manchester High School and it was the first day of classes ''made access even easier.''

New Franklin Detective Michael Korach said police are trying to determine whether other schools were entered.

''We are investigating the possibility that there are other incidents,'' said Korach, who declined to elaborate.

Cliff Franks, a salesman at Levinson's Uniforms in Cuyahoga Falls, said that his store, which has been in business since 1915, already requires purchasers to provide identification.

''We don't sell to the average guy. . . . We are here for the officers and not Joe Q. Public,'' Franks said.

Most of Levinson's customers ''come in with paperwork from their departments,'' he said. '' . . . That's our policy.''

Adding a personal note, Franks said that what happened at the Manchester schools was frightening.

''It scares me,'' he said. ''I have a 5-year-old who is just starting school.''