TV Cop Erik Estrada Becomes Real Cop in Tiny Idaho Town

Actor Erik Estrada, better known as officer “Ponch” from the ’80s show CHiPs, was recently sworn in as a real-life reserve officer in St. Anthony, Idaho, a town of 3,500.

After the ceremony, one reporter asked — apparently seriously — whether he had passed the physical fitness test. Estrada, either joking or misinterpreting the question, responded: “Of course I did. I woke up this morning, brushed my teeth, combed my hair, blew it out, look, I’m ready. I’m ready to go.”

But neither Estrada’s physical fitness nor his signature motorcycle will likely be needed for his new gig. He’ll be working with the department’s brand-new Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Protecting children from the dangers of life online is a passion project of Estrada’s, and he has previously assisted with the issue as a deputy sheriff in Virginia and as a reserve officer in Indiana.

Estrada isn’t the first celebrity turned cop. He joins the ranks of people like Dan Aykroyd, who’s a reserve sheriff’s deputy in Mississippi; Shaquille O’Neal, who’s a reserve officer in Florida; and the late Elvis Presley, who was an honorary Denver cop.

WATCH: For more ’80s nostalgia, check out this clip of Kelly Ripa:

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