Unregistered
04-05-2020, 12:06 PM
Civilian employees, regardless of assignment, should not be wearing the same police badges (embroidered or actual) that are issued to sworn police officers. Period. I’m sure most if not all of you remember how proud you were after you earned your badge. I also know that you probably cherished it, kept it clean and was proud to pin it on before every shift because you know what it took to earn it and what it symbolized.
All of our civilians who wear uniforms such as , radio, records, CSO’s and CST’s are clearly identified as TPD employees and are in no way mistaken as sworn police officers by their uniforms. While the two civilians we do have running around the city with gold Tampa Police badges embroidered on their jackets and shirts are routinely mistaken for Tampa Police Officers. This is real cute for news cams and Twitter, but wait until they are wearing their gold TPD badges and something goes “south” because they are mistaken by someone who would rightfully assume they are police officers.
This is nothing personal as I have never met either one of them, but I had to earn my badge and if they want to wear the exact same one I do they should have to earn it too. Put them through the academy, hold over, FTO and make them reserves or change their badge to a city seal or logo like the one worn my other civilian employees. This needs to be addressed because just like those BS YMCG badges, it’s disrespectful to each and every person who has earned, retried or died wearing that badge.
All of our civilians who wear uniforms such as , radio, records, CSO’s and CST’s are clearly identified as TPD employees and are in no way mistaken as sworn police officers by their uniforms. While the two civilians we do have running around the city with gold Tampa Police badges embroidered on their jackets and shirts are routinely mistaken for Tampa Police Officers. This is real cute for news cams and Twitter, but wait until they are wearing their gold TPD badges and something goes “south” because they are mistaken by someone who would rightfully assume they are police officers.
This is nothing personal as I have never met either one of them, but I had to earn my badge and if they want to wear the exact same one I do they should have to earn it too. Put them through the academy, hold over, FTO and make them reserves or change their badge to a city seal or logo like the one worn my other civilian employees. This needs to be addressed because just like those BS YMCG badges, it’s disrespectful to each and every person who has earned, retried or died wearing that badge.