On Wednesday, police arrested a Rogers man they say had been posing as an officer.
Travis Lee Blake France, 24 of Rogers, faces a charge of Criminal Impersonation in the 1st Degree.
Detectives began an investigation after two employees at Kum & Go on 1701 West New Hope Road, reported that a man had been coming into the store and identifying himself as a cop.
"Two of our detectives went to stop over at Kum & Go and while they were in there, two of the employees said 'Hey, we've got this guy that's been coming through here who is claiming to be a police officer, and we just don't think he's an officer,'" said Officer Keith Foster with the Rogers Police Department.
Employees at a second Kum & Go on 2400 West Hudson Road, stated the male had also been in their store stating he was a law enforcement officer and showed them a law enforcement badge.
"One of the employees said he was an undercover Rogers officer. The other employee said no, he told me he was an undercover Gentry officer."
According to police, they were able to track down France thanks to a photo from Kum & Go, conveniently located across the street from the police department and frequented by officers. In the snapshot, you can see France flashing a badge at the counter.
"It undermines everything that we try to do," said Foster.
According to a police report, after arresting France, a convicted felon on parole, a warranted search of his truck found a Gentry police officer badge, an installed siren, and a light bar on top of his car.
"Depending on how far he carried it, if he tried to do traffic stops or get involved in different types of situations... Anytime someone is doing something like that, that's really concerning for us," said Foster.
If you ever feel suspicious after seeing lights and hearing sirens behind you, Foster explained a couple of options.
"You can slow down, you don't have to stop, but slow down until you get to a well visible, well lit area where there are plenty of people around and you can pull over then. The other thing you can do... is call 911 right there and say 'Hey, I've got this person behind me, is this really a police officer?'"
And if you recognize France or feel like you might have been stopped by someone that was not really an officer, Foster wants you to put a call in to police.
"If you're worried at all, it's always better to be cautious."
According to the police report, France told investigators he only used the badge to get free drinks from Kum & Go.
France has an additional charge of Emergency Lights and Sirens -Prohibited Person, a Class A Misdemeanor. He is being held at the Benton County Sheriff's Office awaiting a bond hearing.
The investigation is ongoing.
