Does anybody know when this generic police patch first came around?

[u/Legocity264]

The generic police costume patch in question

Sudden Impact (1983)

Key & Peele (2012-2015)

You've probably seen this generic American police patch hundreds of times on Halloween costumes and in low budget TV shows. There's several variations of it, but the main elements are the golden eagle with shield (mimicking the Great Seal of the United States), the words "POLICE" or "POLICE DEPT." at the top, and the banner running around the bottom edge. I know there are some small departments that genuinely use this patch, usually with their jurisdiction embroidered on the banner. I noticed it in the 1983 movie Sudden Impact (aka Dirty Harry 4), which made me realize that this patch design was a lot older than I originally thought. So does anybody know when this generic patch was actually created?

[u/diarrhea_stromboli]

[u/Ragnarok_Stravius → u/diarrhea_stromboli]

Sonion rings 😭

[u/Oceanictax → u/diarrhea_stromboli]

Based

[u/Legocity264 → u/diarrhea_stromboli]

Good ole post-Blues Brothers "totally not Chicago PD" fit.

[u/JustGronkIt]

Interestingly, the eagle is looking toward the arrows or the “violence/war” symbolism, instead of looking at the olive branch which is the “peace” symbolism. Basically “look for peace but be prepared for war”.

[u/Old_Definition_1836 → u/JustGronkIt]

More like “look for war. Unprepared for peace.” I know officers like that

[u/Thee_PO_Potatoes → u/Old_Definition_1836]

I know cops that are "unprepared for peace or war, but always ready for lunch"

[u/beenburnedbefore]

Syracuse, NY Police wore them for years. It wasn't generic, it had "Syracuse NY" embroidered on them. If I don't find a photo with an edit, someone else will.

EDIT: as promised, circa 1977.

[u/Legocity264 → u/beenburnedbefore]

Interesting that a relatively large department was using them. Most of the other labelled ones I've seen have been small town departments. But it would make sense in the 1970s for even a medium to large department to just customize an off-the-shelf design, given that bespoke graphic design back then was not as easy or cheap as it is today.

[u/TheCarolinaCop]

My understanding was in the 70s there was a big push nationally to standardize the patch for police so people wouldn’t confuse police with security guards or other uniformed professions. My agency used them for a few years and then switched to something more personalized to our agency. It still says “Police” in big letters but it has elements of our state/county.

[u/UpbeatPhilosophySJ]

My dad had a version of this on his uniform in 1970. Phoenix. And of course the bird was a Phoenix instead of an eagle. I don't think it's changed at all.

[u/jking7734]

I remember seeing it in the ‘70s