TENNESSEE LAWMAN
Honoring the Men and Women behind the Badge
Copyright © 2005-2006, Tennessee Lawman
The nature and design of police insignia varied significantly from the earliest days. Early insignia was as often made of cloth as metal and was found in the form of a band around the arm or a ribbon pinned to a coat. By the middle of the nineteenth century a metal breast badge had become essential insignia for lawmen.
Some basic designs for the badge quickly grew to prominence. The star and the pinched-shield were the predominant badge forms. Often these forms were combined with others, such a shield with a star cut in the center, a star set in a crescent or a star with a wreath around it. The wreath around the star was most frequently represented by a plain circle of metal, forming the badge style know as a circle-star. Another badge style developed using the circle with an eagle on top and accented with designs that incorporated additional panels for rank or other designations.
The manufacture of early badges ranged from simple handmade stars to very ornate jeweler made badges. The "tin star" badge was often actually cut from a piece of thin metal as a quick and practical item for frontier lawmen. Some jewelers made fancy suspension badges or decorated badges with precious gems. Most of the time the more ornamental forms were presentation badges given to a well-respected lawman by a citizens group or by the members of the department. Most early badges were made by stamp and die companies.
Insignia worn by law enforcement officers symbolizes the authority vested in them to protect life and property in their community. The breast badge is the predominant insignia worn by law enforcement personnel and is traced to the heraldic designs of feudal Europe.
By the turn of the twentieth century most police departments had also incorporated a hat badge as part of the insignia. These were primarily wreaths encircling a number or rank. For this reason, hat badges were often called "wreaths." Some were cloth or felt with the wreath stitched in bullion, much as seen in military hat insignia of the period. Most wreaths worn by patrolmen were made of metal. Some early wreaths carried either the name or initials of the department. Sheriff's offices did not typically wear uniforms until the mid-twentieth century and wore only breast badges.
As manufacturing techniques improved, the variety of badge forms increased. Many badges were small at the turn of the twentieth century, often no more than an inch and a half tall. State and city seals grew to become central to the design of both breast and hat badges. Enamel was used to add color to badges early in the twentieth century and by the third quarter of the century enamel became extensively used.
Most major agencies changed badge styles four or five times over the last century and a quarter. Initially badges were purchased for new officers coming on the force without much concern that the badge exactly match other being worn. The badge was frequently purchased by the officer himself. As department began to provide insignia, the larger the agency the less frequently badge styles changed. This was mostly due to the cost of replacing insignia for the entire department. Generally speaking, sheriff’s offices changed badge styles more frequently than police departments.
Shoulder patches appeared on uniforms near the first of the twentieth century. The earliest patches were used to denote special units such as traffic or mounted and carried a motif consistent with that particular duty. Early traffic patches were in the form of a spoked wheel and later wings were added as an indication of speed. Early patches were more properly arm patches than shoulder patches because they were worn not on shoulder, but half way between shoulder and elbow.
Generally, it was not until after World War II that agency patches were designed and intended to be worn by all uniformed officers. Shoulder patches have changed through the years with designs as a rule becoming more elaborate.
