Darren White impersonating a cop?

It was the first thing I thought when I saw Darren White posing in a ballistic vest with Sheriff emblazoned on its chest, link. I waited to write this piece until I got a more expert opinion.

The "expert" opinion is that the word "Sheriff" emblazoned on the vest is the equivalent of wearing a badge. According to State Statute 30-27-2.1. Impersonating a peace officer;

A. Impersonating a peace officer consists of:
"... pretending to be a peace officer with the intent to deceive another person."

According to that same statute;

"Whoever commits impersonating a peace officer is guilty of a misdemeanor."

Unless White claims that his position as Public Safety Director vests him "... with a duty to maintain public order or to make arrests for crime ...", he is not entitled to represent that he is a Sheriff,

even in (especially in?) a campaign commercial.