Maricopa County Officials Refuse to ID Themselves Claim Citizens Must ID

The videos and commentary below were submitted anonymously by Youtube user  “Tattooed Sundevil,” via the CopBlock.org Submissions page. They show and describe a series of encounters he had with members of the Maricopa County Protective Services (who appear to be the equivalent of court marshals and are employed by the county).

There are some interesting statements made by the county employees during conversations on the videos. In the third video (as is mentioned in the description below), the officers tell the man recording that they don’t know if public officials are required to ID themselves, but that he is obligated to tell police his identity anytime he talks to them “because they need to know who they’re talking to.” Then in the fourth video, the sergeant who follows him outside states that he’s never thought of himself as a public official, in spite of the fact that he works for the county and obviously has some sort of policing powers, even if they aren’t quite on the same level as regular police officers.

Date of Incident: November 5, 2015
Department Involved: Maricopa County Protective Services
Phone Number: (602) 506-3700

I witnessed a Maricopa County Protective Services vehicle parked illegally outside of one of the county buildings. I began taking pictures of the vehicle, at which point a Maricopa County Official (shown in the video as the driver), approached me and asked what I was doing. When I asked if it was his vehicle, he stated it was not. He then proceeded to tell me that they often park there so they can run in and out in a timely manner.

I accepted this answer and decided to wait for whoever was the driver of this vehicle to appear. After waiting for an addition 30 minutes or so with no driver in sight, I called the non-emergency number for the county and was told that someone would be down to move it soon.

After I waited around for another 10 minutes or so, the same individual I made contact with came down and asked me if I was satisfied now that I had called the county. I stated I was, at which point he began to raise his voice. At that time, I took out my phone to record. I asked him for his name and badge number and he stated he did not have a name and did not have to give me anything.

The videos embedded below are a set of four. The first is immediately after I called. The second is when I went to get a public records request form and was told that I am supposed to identify myself whenever a LEO asks me to, regardless of whether or not I have committed a crime. (The conversation in question occurs around the 9:30-10:20 mark). The final video shows the same sergeant I had been talking to earlier asking me why I am being so extreme with my complaint. I tell him it is not extreme to hold public officials to the same standards they hold private citizens.

– Tattooed Sundevil

Maricopa County Officials Refuse to ID Themselves Claim Citizens Must ID is a post from Cop Block – Badges Don’t Grant Extra Rights