They say you should dress for the job you want, not the job you have. While this is sound advice, taking this too far can get you into trouble, depending on your dream job.

There are certain professions that the average person cannot impersonate, including legal officials, doctors and law enforcement jobs. If you dress up as one of these officials, you’ll have to be careful not to cross the line into impersonation.

Such was the case of a juvenile in Caldwell, who was arrested on March 14.

Juvenile arrested for police impersonation

A community member reported suspicions of someone impersonating a police officer, which led to a brief undercover investigation, according to a Caldwell Police press release.

A white Dodge Charger was observed with forward-facing red lights, like the ones on emergency vehicles. The juvenile attempted to conduct a traffic stop, using the lights on an undercover officer.

“Police impersonation poses a serious threat to public safety and undermines the trust between law enforcement and our community,” states the press release. “Such behavior will not be tolerated.”

Because the offender is a juvenile, holding information following the arrest is not released.

Anyone who had a similar interaction with this juvenile or vehicle is asked to contact non-emergency dispatch at 208-454-7531.

Idaho police impersonation law

According to Idaho law, it is a felony to attempt to exercise police functions without the proper background. The charge comes with a prison sentence between two and five years.

State law 18-711 covers the following actions:

• Anyone who unlawfully exercises the functions of an officer, or attempts to do so

• Anyone who holds themselves out as an officer

• Anyone who brings any police force into the state for domestic violence suppression (or causes or attempts to aid in this action)

Char Jackson, the Caldwell public information officer, confirmed the juvenile was charged for violating state law 18-711. It is not a common crime, as neither Caldwell nor Idaho State Police arrested anyone for the offense in 2023.