Police are warning people to use caution of they are ever approached by a plain clothes person who identifies himself/herself as a police officer.
The warning comes the day after a man was arrested for impersonating a police officer in Pinellas County. Last week, a different man was arrested for impersonating a police officer in Hillsborough and Polk counties.
Treasure Island police officers responded to the 11200 block of Treasure Island Beach just after 6 p.m. on Monday, June 1, when a caller reported a man had approached him and asked him for identification.
Officers say they found Anthony R. Adolph, 25, in the parking lot of the St. Petersburg Municipal Beach. An investigation revealed that Adolph had stopped several persons, identified himself as a police officer and asked for their identification.
In at least one incident, a victim provided his driver’s license to Adolph, who then looked at the ID before handing it back to the man.
In another incident, investigators say a pregnant female witness refused to provide her identification to Adolph when he asked for it. A third witness, who was in his vehicle at the time, said that Adolph flagged him down in the parking lot and asked him for identification. The man refused to provide his ID to Adolph, drove away and immediately called police to report the incident.
Adolph, who lives in Tampa, allegedly told officers he was scheduled to attend a police academy in Hillsborough County in the fall.
Investigators say Adolph was with another male and a female at the time of his arrest. They were not charged with a crime.
Adolph and the others appeared to have been under the influence at the time, according to investigators. Adolph was arrested and charged with falsely personating an officer and later transported to the Pinellas County Jail where he is currently being held on a $5,000.00 bond.
If you have any information regarding Adolph’s actions on the Treasure Island beach, please contact Officer Liz Deese at 727-547-4592.
Police are warning people to use caution of they are ever approached by a plain clothes person who identifies himself/herself as a police officer. They say that with most public encounters of this type, a uniformed officer will respond. In rare cases, a plain clothes detective may respond. If you do not observe a law enforcement badge or credential or if you suspect the person may be impersonating an officer, remain in your vehicle or move to a visible public area and immediately call 911.
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