Shaq plans to go undercover in retirement

MIAMI -- Shaquille O'Neal as an undercover cop?

It might be hard to disguise that 7-foot-1, 325-pound frame, but the Miami Heat star with a fascination for law enforcement says he wants to be an undercover officer when he retires.

O'Neal, recently sworn in as a U.S. deputy marshal, has joined a Department of Justice task force that tracks down sexual predators who target children on the Internet.

O'Neal is becoming familiar with the techniques and software that officers use to track down the predators, said Miami Beach Police Chief Don De Lucca. He spends hours on his home computer, logging into the police network.

"I put a lot into it, and when I am done playing, I plan on going undercover and then being the sheriff or chief of police somewhere, either Miami or Orlando, I don't know yet," O'Neal said recently.

Raised by a stepfather who was an Army sergeant, O'Neal has been interested in police work since he was a teen. Two of his uncles worked in law enforcement.

"He'd be a great undercover guy," De Lucca said. "Obviously, we're not going to send him out to buy dope, but he can do surveillance, he can do Internet crimes. He has an incredible thirst for information, he's street-smart, and he's a communicator and leader."