DESOTO COUNTY, FL – The sheriff out of DeSoto County issued an advisory to the community in late October to be on the lookout and not fall victim to a vehicle the sheriff’s office believes to be impersonating law enforcement.
The vehicle in question: a truck serving as a parody mock-up of a Border Patrol vehicle, emblazoned with decals dubbing it the “Booty Patrol.”
A case of a heavily invested bit of motorized satire or encroaching upon impersonating an officer? That is the topic of debate sparked by the “Booty Patrol” truck harboring a decal and font scheme parodying typical Border Patrol vehicles but harboring obvious comedic puns amidst the decals’ writings.
On October 31st, the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office issued a notice to the public to keep an eye out for the purportedly offending Chevy Silverado, emphasizing how the truck is outfitted with “red and blue lights that has been impersonating law enforcement,” warning citizens to not pull over for the vehicle.
Despite the assertions made by the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office that Luviano’s vehicle was tantamount to impersonating law enforcement, he was only given a citation for prohibited lights. The difference between the two outlined offenses is a prohibited lights citation measures up to only a fine, whereas impersonating an officer would translate to felony prison time under Florida law.
However, according to Gabriel Luviano, who owns the “Booty Patrol” truck in question, he’s never once attempted to pull anybody over with the vehicle. As for the lights, Luviano acknowledged they’re part of the gimmick overall but are only activated on private property and during various shows/events where the vehicle is featured.
After catching a $113 fine for the offending lights on the truck, Luviano told a local news outlet that he never had any intentions of trying to dupe the public into thinking his parody truck was an official government vehicle.
“I just wanted to have some fun never impersonate though. Just have a good laugh about it," he said.
And while the sheriff’s office claimed their efforts to track down the vehicle and cite the owner were in the interests of the public, some of those very members of the public found the ordeal a bit silly and ostensibly a waste of law enforcement resources.
Based upon some of the feedback received on the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook post, it seems as though county locals were hardly concerned about potentially being duped by a truck with a side decal reading, “National Booty Behavior Protection.”
The vehicle in question: a truck serving as a parody mock-up of a Border Patrol vehicle, emblazoned with decals dubbing it the “Booty Patrol.”
A case of a heavily invested bit of motorized satire or encroaching upon impersonating an officer? That is the topic of debate sparked by the “Booty Patrol” truck harboring a decal and font scheme parodying typical Border Patrol vehicles but harboring obvious comedic puns amidst the decals’ writings.
On October 31st, the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office issued a notice to the public to keep an eye out for the purportedly offending Chevy Silverado, emphasizing how the truck is outfitted with “red and blue lights that has been impersonating law enforcement,” warning citizens to not pull over for the vehicle.
Despite the assertions made by the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office that Luviano’s vehicle was tantamount to impersonating law enforcement, he was only given a citation for prohibited lights. The difference between the two outlined offenses is a prohibited lights citation measures up to only a fine, whereas impersonating an officer would translate to felony prison time under Florida law.
However, according to Gabriel Luviano, who owns the “Booty Patrol” truck in question, he’s never once attempted to pull anybody over with the vehicle. As for the lights, Luviano acknowledged they’re part of the gimmick overall but are only activated on private property and during various shows/events where the vehicle is featured.
After catching a $113 fine for the offending lights on the truck, Luviano told a local news outlet that he never had any intentions of trying to dupe the public into thinking his parody truck was an official government vehicle.
“I just wanted to have some fun never impersonate though. Just have a good laugh about it," he said.
And while the sheriff’s office claimed their efforts to track down the vehicle and cite the owner were in the interests of the public, some of those very members of the public found the ordeal a bit silly and ostensibly a waste of law enforcement resources.
Based upon some of the feedback received on the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook post, it seems as though county locals were hardly concerned about potentially being duped by a truck with a side decal reading, “National Booty Behavior Protection.”
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