What Is the Meaning of a Police Badge?

Police and other law enforcement figures have always been denoted by some form of identification. As societies changed and evolved, so too did the uniforms of law enforcement personnel. However, the past can hold strong in certain, unexpected ways. One of those ways is in the badges given to police officers, and in the meaning that is put into them.

Identification

The first and foremost meaning of a police badge is that the individual wearing it is a law enforcement officer. Only police officers are allowed to wear, or in many cases even own, police badges. Criminals would often attempt to impersonate police, and it was through the use of collected badges that they did so, playing off the assumption that only a policeman would have a badge like that.

Symbolism

A police badge is usually in the shape of a shield, which symbolizes the police officer as a protector of the peace and of the people. This symbol is also seen on squad cars and hat badges as well as on cloth patch badges, which have replaced wearing the metal badge on the uniform in many cities.

Location

While many ranking officers wear their badges on their belts, it's traditional for uniformed officers to wear their badges on the left side of their chests. This is even reflected in the fact that uniform shirts have extra support on that side of the chest with guiding points for securing the badge. This is symbolic of the oath that all police officers take, and the badge is worn over the heart to show that pledge.

Customized Badges

It's becoming more common for officers to have customized badges now. Each department has rules, but generally, a custom badge may denote the name of the officer, their badge number, rank, city or state they serve, and a symbol of that jurisdiction. What appears on the badge varies from one department to another, but those are common themes.

Changes

Decoration can be added to a police badge to give it an additional meaning. One of the most commonly seen decorations after the 9/11 attacks, for instance, was police wore black bands across their badges. This is a symbol of mourning, and it showed they were united in remembering those who had fallen in the line of duty.