Police Badge Clipart
Police badges have a long history dating back to ancient times when guards and night watchmen would carry medallions or tokens to identify themselves. In the modern policing system, badges are worn by law enforcement officers as official identification to signify authority. The police badge is an important symbol of the dangerous work police officers do to protect their communities.
Displaying a badge enables officers to identify themselves in public and demand cooperation during missions. The badge and ID number help citizens ensure the officer is legitimate, not an imposter. When worn visibly on uniforms, badges convey respect for officers’ roles along with pride in their competence and integrity.
Common Elements of Police Badges
While police badge designs vary, most share common features. They clearly display the name or initials of the issuing agency or jurisdiction. This immediately tells people that the officer serves their local area. Badges indicate the state, county, or city police division so citizens know the scope and limitations of the officer’s authority.
Virtually all badges have an identification number unique to each officer. This links the physical badge to records about the officer’s identity, rank and assignments. Other frequent badge elements include official seals or logos, national or state symbols, statements of jurisdiction and slogans reflecting agency history or values.
Types of Police Badges
Police officers wear customized badges indicating their responsibility areas and ranks. Detectives and plainclothes investigators often carry smaller concealed badges. Badges come in special shapes with particular meanings – for example the U.S. Marshal’s Service star shape badge represents its founding origins when Marshals had a Wild West frontier identity.
Different divisions have their own badges as insignia, like specialized forensics, K-9 corps, highway patrol and tactical response teams. Unique designs are also used for higher ranks to distinguish leadership roles. Badge types indicating supervisory positions include Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Deputy Chief and Chief rank badges.
Symbolism in Police Badge Designs
The symbols and images shown on badges represent deeper meanings related to policing. Common elements include stars, representing authority and honor. The badge shape itself may be in the form of a shield – a longstanding symbol of protection now worn by officers to express their defense duty. Defender mottos in Latin are frequently displayed underscoring this guardian role against violence and lawlessness.
Other badge symbols remind officers of their ideals of service, justice, trust and community. Features suggesting courage include guns, swords, spears and unambiguous mottos like “Against All Enemies” or “Vigilant and Invincible”. Inclusion of American national symbols further convey officers’ role defending society within constitutional law.
Evolution of Police Badge Designs
Early US police badges were basic metal plates carried in pockets. By the 1900s most officers displayed silver seven-point star shaped badges on uniforms, often inset with hardstone seals featuring the officer’s number and locality name engraved. Later mid-century badges became embossed with more intricate detail as manufacturers improved die-stamping techniques.
In recent decades, badge motifs transformed to emphasize meaning. Agencies increasingly display their mission statements rather than just administrative data about jurisdiction. Greater realism and perspective is shown on symbols that now may depict three-dimensional eagles, or shaped tri-banner style ribbons. While still using classic icon shapes, modern badges better capture community spirit and policing values.
Notable and Unique Police Badges
Unusual police badge designs demonstrate regional character or special policing roles. For example, Honolulu Police badges incorporate colorful Hawaiian tropical flowers and taro plant motifs. New Mexico state police badges picture Rio Grande Zia sun symbols. Canada’s Royal Mounted Police display distinctive diamond-set royal crowns.
America’s oldest federal law enforcement agency – the U.S. Marshals Service – displays a gold circled five-point star badge identifying its legendary origins in Wild West frontier justice. U.S. Coast Guard badges display the agency’s maritime protective role with an anchor icon. Customs and Border Protection use a graphical badge with blue background representing border and homeland security duties.
Where to Purchase Authentic Police Badges
While police badge replicas for collection display or costumes are available online, purchasing an actual functioning police badge requires verified identification and authorization. Authentic law enforcement badges are controlled items manufactured by special licensing agreements between jurisdictions, uniformed divisions, and authorized badge-makers.
Many counties and cities contract with manufacturers Smith & Warren or Entenmann-Rovin Company to produce all their registered officer badges. Each authentic badge is tracked to its purchasing order and shipping destination as standard inventory control. Agencies place bulk orders annually replacing older badges needing replacement.
Police Badge Collecting
Historic and contemporary police badges are widely sought by collectors hoping to own a piece of local law enforcement history. Factors making rare badges valuable to enthusiasts include unusual shapes, ornamental engraving flourishes, commemorative hunter case display boxes, and if linked to a renowned agency or city.
The most prized badges were carried by real life famous lawmen. For example, an authentic U.S. Federal Marshal’s star belonging to Wild West legend Wyatt Earp could be auctioned for over $100,000. More recent badges tied to city police chiefs, homicide detectives or elite emergency response teams also generate collector interest.
Police Badge Clipart
Police badge images simplified as clipart graphics without background are popular for insignia backdrops, stationery, and rubber stamp designs. Digitized badge shapes make an ideal stencil for painting other objects like vehicles or helmets. Clipart designers may embed badge graphics into t-shirt motif templates for customized apparel.
Online digital image galleries offer police badge clipart in several categories. Raster bitmap images work for printing. Vector clipart allows scaling to any size without pixelation for embroidery, cutting vinyl, and digital formats like cut files or svg. Most packages provide variations capturing antique styles, with scrolls and other engraving details in metal texturing.
Using Police Badge Clip Art
Tips for working with police badge clipart graphics include downloading high resolution images for best print quality. Modify badge proportions when enlarging or reducing size to retain natural shape. Soften any jagged points on stars or crosses smoothed in actual metal badges using round corner effects.
In this page clipartix present 72 police badge clipart images free for designing activities. Lets download Police Badge Clipart that you want to use for works or personal uses.
