Sheriff’s officials in Cobb County, Georgia, are banking on the ability of new identification badges to help deter and spot impersonators.

“Unfortunately, it’s pretty easy for someone to buy a uniform and come up with a fake badge,” says sheriff’s Col. Don Bartlett. “We believe the new credentials will reassure Cobb residents that they are dealing with an actual officer.”

Technology including color shifting and a three-dimensional seal should make forging the new Cobb County identification badge near impossible, says Bartlett.

The project will be paid for with nearly $500,000 of funds recently received from the federal government. Different types of access cards have been used in the recent past to permit officers to enter courts without passing through metal detectors. Bartlett says the new badges will replace those cards and streamline identification and security, as well as lower maintenance costs.

The new badges are expected to be ready for use within one year.