What do you think??

[CJ122]

Our chief has decided to have all police patches removed from our uniform shirts, jackets, and other equipment.

I have mixed feelings about this decision. I respect the patch, and am honored to represent the police department as an explorer. I understand his reasons for making this decision: our personal safety, and so people on the street do not confuse us as sworn police officers. However, it is important to be identified as a part of the police department while working events-such as security, parking, and traffic direction. It's odd how we are told we are not a part of the police department but we are called on a regular basis to work with them.

I don't know if it is necessary to write a letter to the chief and lieutenant, because I agree but yet disagree with the decision. As an explorer, what would you do in this situation? To police officers and civilians, what do you think I should do?

Thanks for the imput..

Be Safe,
CJ

[RaychelR]

Have there been any incidents preceding this that would warrant the removal of the police patches?

[CJ122]

Nothing serious, to my knowledge.. However we have had a few minor problems with morons who we have taken care of.

[Shannon]

hmmmmm.. We wear our departments patch and then a bar patch under it that says explorer. That might be a solution. I do think we have ever had any major problems with being confused with officers?
good luck
shannon

[JB]

We wear white shirts, black BDU pants, and boots for our class A uniform. Our class B uniform is the boots and BDUs with a black t-shirt with the explorer emblem on the front and an eagle on the back. Our uniform is significantly different from the uniform the regular officers wear which is either dark blue or gray. Come to think of it, we dont's have a DKPD patch but our badges do say DeKalb county on them.

Anyway, having a significantly different uniform from regular officers might be a possible solution.

------------------
JB
Romans 13:1-5

[Bonk]

Our explorer scouts wear light blue shirts (vs dark navy for the cops) and have a much much different looking patch, completely different shape. Their pants don't have stripes, either. There is no chance at all to be mistaken for a cop.

See if you can't make your own patch. Get someone artistic, draw up three or four ideas, then present them. Gotta have a patch of some sort.

[John from Maryland]

Our Explorers have always had different patches than sworn officers. I think this is appropriate from both to prevent misrepresentation of the uniform by the occasional problem child and for the safety of the Explorers.

Bonk's idea about designing your own patch is a good one. Insignia manufacturers will be happy to help you in the design of the patch.

Be safe.

[RPD Explorer]

Our uniform is black(dark navy blue) pants and a lighter colored blue shirt, easily distenguished from the police officers.

We have a modified version of the our police station's patch. Everything is the same except for it not saying police.

No offense to other posts that don't have patches on there uniforms, or some that only have patches on 1 side or something, but it looks pretty rediculous. The explorers should be professional looking and should be able to be able to be identified by the public and other officers.

I would be strongly against our Cheif taking our patches away from us.

Mike

[ALPHA4]

Possibly have your standard patch and another sewn under the patch saying "EXPLORER"? Many civilians have never heard of law enforcement explorers and wouldn't know what one is, so maybe you could go so far as adding "YOUTH POLICE EXPLORER". ANYONE should be able to distinguish the difference then! Just a suggestion.

[DesertRat]

Dittos here. We designed completely different uniforms and patches for our explorer posts and made sure we got publicity out to the public so they knew the difference. We never had any problems that I'm aware of.

[djack16]

My post has side shoulder patches that look exactly like officers patches except for the word "Explorer" just above it. Our uniforms are not the color or near the color of an officer's uniform. I couldn't imagine somebody thinking that we were officers.