Look out criminals, Officer Shaq is on the beat. Miami Heat's Shaquille O'Neal was sworn in as a reserve police officer Thursday in a private ceremony.

The 7-foot-1 superstar skipped the department's public event earlier in the day to avoid the media attention, opting instead for a quiet, no-frills ceremony.

"Officer O'Neal is very considerate toward the other officers, and he was afraid if he was there he would have taken away from that moment for other officers," department spokesman Robert Hernandez said. "This is a very special time for them and their families."

The former Laker was a reserve officer in Los Angeles before moving to South Florida. He spent the past year training for the Miami Beach police reserve officer position and can now add the $1 a year salary to his $100 million, 5-year contract with the Heat.