|
| Chicago Police Department Patrol Officers' patches |
|
| These patches are obsolete since 1981 |
Okay, since some of
you wondered what were the names of the old 41 Districts, here is a partial list from 1961. This list
was on a station house directory card put out by the Chicago Patrolmen's Association which served as a receipt
for dues paid for 1962.
Some District names are
not on this list. Former Superintendent O.W. Wilson came on board on March 2, 1960, and he eliminated "18 of the 38 Districts" according to what I read. This means
that 3 of the original 41 Districts did not exist at the time Wilson
came to the CPD, and sure enough, the list is missing 3 Districts (Districts 3, 4 and 21). Of
course, they were eventually added years later, and some district station names survived (but perhaps with a different number)
and some were totally eliminated. Still other district names came into use even later, such as Jefferson Park for the 16th District.
Superintendent Wilson
eventually had 21 Districts; the number increased to 24 at least by 1980 and there are presently 25 Districts.
I also have (not pictured)
a list of Districts from 1916, when there were 45 Districts. They were not named. I also have District lists from
1943 and 1955, and these help to fill in some of the missing info from the 1961 list and the map pictured below.
In 1943, there were
41 Districts. In 1943, District 2 was under construction. District 3 was Cottage
Grove, 2700 S. State. District 4 was Stanton, 454 E. 35th. District 21 was
Scotland Yards, 4736 S. Halsted.
The 1943 list is similar
to the 1955 list. Here are some updates in the 1955 list: District 2 is Prairie, 300 E. 29th. Districts
3, 4 and 21 are closed down. District 26 in 1943 was Des Plaines but was renamed
Monroe, with an address change.
Note that an old District
map is just a few photos below here and it is also missing District numbers 3, 4 and 21 since they were already closed in
1955.
1
First District
2 Prairie Avenue
3
closed already
4
closed already
5
South Wabash
6
Hyde Park
7
Woodlawn
8
South Chicago
9
East Side
10 Grand
Crossing
11 Burnside
12 Kensington
13 Morgan Park
14 Gresham
15 Englewood
16 Chicago Lawn
17 New City
18 Stockyards
19 Deering
20 Brighton Park
21 closed already
22 Maxwell
23 Marquette
24 Lawndale
25 Filmore
26 Monroe
27 Warren
28 Austin
29 West Chicago
30 West North
31 Cragin
32 Shakespeare
33 Irving Park
34 Albany Park
35 East Chicago
36 Hudson
37 Sheffield
38 Town Hall
39 North Damen
40 Summerdale
41 Rogers Park
Detective Bureaus were
located at the 6th, 24th and the 32nd District addresses
| Chicago Police Department Supervisors' patches |
|
| These are obsolete since 1981 |
More old style pie piece or teardrop shaped patches used from early 1957 to November 1981
- and when you see the same district number on the patches, it means that they have different backing material - cloth
for shirts, leather for the jackets or felt for the wool coats. The cloth patches are shown first.
The patches with yellow letters and yellow border were for exempt ranks - Commander and above.
The others with blue letters and yellow border were used by sergeants, lieutenants and captains. Some of the patches
with a felt background are noticeably darker than the cloth and leather patches.
| 1960s Map showing 38 of 41 Districts & 6 Areas |
|
| Has District boundaries before the reorganization by Superintendent Wilson in the early 60's |
Above - This map also shows the 6 Area Headquarters. Now, there are only 5 of these.
This map might be from around 1961; note that the map does not show Districts 3, 4 and 21. These Districts were already
closed down when Superintendent Wilson came on board on March 2, 1960. He eliminated 18 of the 38 existing Districts.
Below - The CPD uniforms had no shoulder patch for many years except for the patch
pictured just below that says "Chicago Police Traffic" on it. The pie piece or teardrop shape patch was put into use
around early 1957. Some other Chicago area police departments including the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad
Police, and the Illinois Institute of Technology Police Department, and some private security guard services used the same
size, shape and colors of the old style CPD patches.
| The Traffic patch is the oldest one on this site |
|
| The CADET patch was used 1963 - 1972 |
Two patches have a star in the center. Do you know what those meant?
Also pictured is a Special Police patch. Others are pictured below. I've heard two stories about the
Special Police. I heard that off duty officers with side jobs would pin this patch over their regular CPD patches since
they were not supposed to wear the regular uniform performing side jobs. Additionally, some security guards were
actually given some limited police authority, licensed by the Police Department via city ordinance, and were issued these
patches as well as a shield-shaped badge that said Special Police. One of these badges is pictured way below.
These Special Police officers had police authority on the premises where they worked.
This picture also has the Explorer patch for teenagers who participated in that program.
Note that the Explorers patch is slightly smaller than the regular officers' shoulder patch.
The old Traffic patch pre-dates the old style patches with "TD" and later, "T"
as the center insert. The Traffic Division used TD as its first center insert based on a photo I have from 1958; by
1962, it used the T center insert. Note that traffic officers wore white hats for better visibility. The oldie
Traffic patch has the "green cross of safety" logo that was borrowed from the Los Angeles Police Dept. traffic
patches. I believe this particular Traffic patch to be the oldest CPD patch pictured on this web site. I've seen
a photo from 1955 showing a Traffic officer wearing this patch, with a smaller separate patch below it. That other patch
was a small rectangle with a wheel in the center with a thick arrow going through the wheel (wish I had one to show you!).
I have another photo showing this pictured Traffic patch being worn in late 1950, so it could have been worn even in the 1940s.
The old Cadet program ran from 1963 to 1972 and cadets wore the patch pictured. Cadets also
were issued special shirt/coat badges that were sort of semi-circle shaped. Their hat shields were also very different
from the sworn officers' hat shields. There are pictures of these badges way below, below the shirt and coat photos.
Current CPD officers who were Cadets get to wear a special pin on their uniform (wish I had one to show you).
The old Cadet patches were made by the Recco Maid Embroidery Company, formerly located at 4626 W.
Cornelia in Chicago. The company moved but is still in business-- since 1929.
The Cadet program was revived in 2005 - can someone tell me what shoulder patch and badge
are used by the new Cadets?
This picture also has a commemmorative patch issued for the DNC in 1996 to denote the
prior Democratic National Convention in Chicago, held in 1968.
| Two variations of the Special Police patches |
|
| All have cloth backings; recently made replicas have plastic backings |
| Medal for the '96 DNC - Joint Operations Command |
|
| One of the nicer tokens given out by the Secret Service for helping them out |
| The back of the medal |
|
| These medals have a control number on the outside edge of one side |
| Can anyone say what these star inserts meant? |
|
| The star inserts are not the 20 year service award star patches |
| Closeup of the old Traffic patch |
|
| The green cross of safety is sewn right into the patch. Still need the supervisor's version of this |
| Old traffic-related patch |
|
| I still need the above patch |
| Two more motorcycle-related patches |
|
| Can someone advise when these were used? Are they current? |
FOR THE OLD STYLE SPECIALTY SECTION PATCHES PICTURED BELOW WITH LETTERS IN THE CENTER INSERTS
-
I've heard explanations for most of these. Sometimes I got 2 different explanations,
so both will be noted. Feel free to contact me to let me know your thoughts on these, and perhaps you can tell me what
some of the inserts mean because I have no info on them. You can contact me by scrolling up to the top of this
page, where there is a link to click on for "contact me." Also let me know if there are other letter inserts not even
mentioned here.
AS Administrative Services
CD Criminalistics Division
CP Crime Prevention (there was a Crime Prevention Division in 1959)
CS Community Services
CSP - ?? maybe Chicago Special Police ??
F Field Services
H Headquarters
HQ Headquarters
HDQ Headquarters (used early on such as in 1958)
I Inspection
IS Investigative Services/Inspectional Services
OS Operational Services
PTD - Police Training Division
S Special Services
SC Senior Citizens??? There was a Senior and Disabled Citizens Unit
SO Special Operations
T Traffic (used this one-letter insert by 1962)
TD Traffic Division (used early on such as in 1958)
TF Task Force
TS Technical Services
WD Women's Division - it existed in 1958
Y Youth Division
LOOKS like an S surrounded by a large C- Chicago Seaport
I have 23 different "lettered" inserts. Am I missing any? Are there
inserts with special logos on them? I have one pictured below for the old Aviation Unit, but that patch is a novelty
item - are there other logos for center inserts, whether official or novelty?
I have only 3 inserts which have 3 letters on each - are there more?
For all of these specialty section patches pictured below -
I placed patches with the same center insert, together in the same picture.
The patches in each picture that are on the left have a cloth background; if 2 are pictured in the
same photo then I spaced them out so that the cloth one is on the left, the next one is leather, and if there is a third one,
the one on the right is felt. Sometimes I have the cloth and felt patches but I'm missing the matching leather one -
so you'll see a space between 2 patches to illustrate the missing leather one.
I still need definite info on what the CSP and SC center inserts mean. Thanks
for contacting me to fill in any needed info.
BELOW - Supervisory
patches (blue letters with yellow border) and Exempt rank patches - Commander and above (yellow letters with yellow border).
Left to right - cloth for the shirts; leather for the leather coats and felt for the wool "reefer" coats. Sometimes
I have all 3 styles with the same insert.
|
| Administrative Services |
|
| Criminalistics Division |
|
| Crime Prevention Division |
|
| Community Services |
|
| Field Services |
|
| Headquarters |
| Unusual 3-letter insert |
|
| Headquarters; I have a pic of this being worn in 1958 |
|
| Inspection |
|
| Investigative Services/Inspectional Services |
|
| Operational Services |
| Unusual 3-letter insert |
|
| Believed to be for the PoliceTraining Division |
|
| Special Services |
|
| Special Operations |
|
| Traffic |
|
| Task Force |
|
| Technical Services |
|
| Youth Division |
|
| Chicago Seaport |
Remember - when you
see more than one of the same center insert, it means the left one is cloth for the shirts; the middle one is leather
for the leather coats; then, if I have it, on the far right is felt for the wool "reefer" coats. Sometimes I have all
3 for the same insert - sometimes not.
|
| Administrative Services |
|
| Criminalistics Division |
|
| Crime Prevention Division |
|
| Community Services |
| Unusual 3-letter insert, and this patch is leather |
|
| Unsure what CSP means-- this may be the first Chicago Special Police patch |
|
| Field Services |
|
| Headquarters |
| Check out these small center inserts |
|
|
| I've seen other small "2" inserts but no other District numbers; HQ meant Headquarters |
|
| Inspection |
|
| Investigative Services/Inspectional Services |
|
| Operational Services |
|
| Special Services |
|
| Pls tell me what SC means -maybe Senior Citizens; there was a Senior & Disabled Citizens Unit |
|
| Special Operations |
|
| Traffic |
| This insert later dropped the D |
|
| Traffic Division - I have a photo from 1958 of a TD officer wearing this |
|
| Task Force |
|
| Technical Services |
|
| Women's Division |
|
| Youth Division |
| Chicago Seaport |
|
The Detached Service unit called the Chicago Police Seaport Security Force was established around
1970 for cargo protection and port security. Pictured is the supervisors' patch. Civilians assigned to this force
were Chicago Seaport Security Officers and wore similar patches with the same center insert, except the patches said "Chicago
Seaport Police." This special force of CPD officers and security officers worked at Navy Pier, the Calumet River and
Lake Calumet Harbor.
| Unofficial patch for the CPD Aviation Unit |
|
| I've also seen a similar version with the center insert having yellow wings and white rotor blade |
This unit existed from 1968 to 1979. There were two Bell 47 helicopters with four sergeants
and two patrolmen. In 1971, after a crash, it operated on a stand by basis for surveillances, search flights, photo
missions and nighttime illumination of scenes. It was disbanded in 1979. After that, the CPD used helicopters
from the Chicago Fire Department or the State Police.
On January 1, 2006, the CPD put a helicopter into use again. This one was purchased
from the Fire Department and will be operated jointly with the Cook County Sheriff's Department. The helicopter operation is based at Iroquois Landing at 95th St. and Lake Michigan.
Note that the pictured patch was a novelty item and not a uniform item.
| American Legion Post 207 Drum and Bugle Corps |
|
| I still need the above patch |
| American Legion Post 207 star |
|
| This measures 1 7/8 inches; center seal is "turned" a bit |
| Novelty item from Post 207 |
|
| I still need the above hat shield |
| Current style + Field Training Officer patches |
|
| Each rank has cloth, leather & felt patches. This pic shows one of my display cases. |
This picture shows the current style, all ranks. Top row 8-sided - patrol officers;
middle row - sergeants, lieutenants and captains; bottom row - commander and above. Note the Field Training Officer
patches - the blue one is the shirt patch and the black one is the jacket patch - the position existed for many years and
the CPD even issued a large pin with "Patrol Specialist" on it (pictured way below) to recognize these officers, and the FTO
position was finally created formally in early 1999, including the extra pay. The sergeant stripes also came in blue
for the shirts and black for the jackets.
The city flag patch is worn in this color scheme, used by all ranks, and has been in
use since May 1, 1971, when sergeants started wearing white shirts rather than blue shirts. The flag patch on the left
is leather; the other is cloth. The 4 stars on the flag denote important city events - the Fort Dearborn massacre in
1812; the 1871 Great Chicago Fire; and two World's Fairs - the World Columbian Exposition in 1893 and the Century of Progress
Exposition in 1933. The top blue stripe in the flag represents Lake Michigan and the North branch of the Chicago River.
The bottom blue stripe represents the South branch of the Chicago River and the "Great Canal."
| Left - white portions are leather; Right - cloth |
|
| The size of the 4 stars on different patches varies with the manufacturer |
| closeup - coat patches |
|
The sergeant's coat patch on the left is from the 1970s. Its stripes are twice as thick (from
front to back) as the stripes on the patch on the right, which is from 2004. These older style patches are on
the nylon jacket, the leather jacket and the wool coat pictured below. Note that the sergeant's patch on the
right and the Field Training Officer patch use the identical colors.
| closeup - shirt patches |
|
| Left FTO - "real" patch; Right FTO - error - wrong border color |
The Field Training Officer patch on the left is actually used. The FTO patch on the right is
an error patch - it has the wrong color for the outside border.
| Used by sergeants, lieutenants & captains |
|
The above style has been current since November 1981. The symbolic meaning of the city seal
is as follows:
The American shield represents the national spirit of Chicago. The Indian represents the discoverer
of the site of Chicago. The ship in full sail is emblematic of the approach of civilization and commerce. The
sheaf of wheat is typical of activity and plenty, holding the same meaning as cornucopia. The nude babe in the shell
is the ancient and classical symbolism of the pearl, and Chicago, situated at the neck of the lake, signifies that it shall
be "The Gem of the Lakes." The motto, "Urbs in Horto," means "City in a Garden." The City of Chicago was incorporated
on March 4, 1837.
The above information is contained in a small folder from the CPD which encloses a patrol officer's
patch (for people crazy enough to collect these things). A supervisor's patch is pictured above - used by sergeants,
lieutenants and captains.
This pictured patch is also the patch worn by members of the Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police
Department. This group was founded in 1999 and serves to "Honor Our Fallen" comrades, their families and friends in
their time of need. Some photos of their distinctive epaulets are pictured way below.
The city motto appeared at the bottom of the badges that were used from 1955 until 2003. On
the new (2003) style star badges, the motto is at the bottom of the center city seal. These new style stars are copyrighted
by the CPD.
| TOP - the 5, 10 & 15 year service bars |
|
| Bottom - the 20 year service star for left coat sleeve |
| Old style 15-year service bars |
|
| Worn on the left coat sleeve as shown below |
| old nylon jacket |
|
| Has old style stripes and old style 15-year service bars |
| Old leather jacket with leather flag patch |
|
| Has the old style leather shoulder patch for Traffic & old style sergeant stripes |
| Current style with Sgt stripes - still need this |
|
| I would love to buy one of these for my collection |
| Patrol Officer's leather jacket |
|
| Both patches are leather |
| Old wool coat with old stye felt District 12 patch |
|
| This coat is much lighter in weight than the wool reefer coat pictured below |
| old wool "reefer" coat; uses a felt shoulder patch |
|
| has the 20 year service star on left sleeve |
| Patrol Officer's shirt |
|
| Has the Field Training Officer patches |
| Sergeant's shirt - white shirts since May 1, 1971 |
|
| |
Above, is the
white shirt worn by sergeants since May 1, 1971. The shirt pictured above has the style of
shoulder patch used since 1981 - the 8-sided patch.
Below, is an old style
sergeant's shirt. For one thing, it's blue rather than white. Also, it has the old style pie piece or teardrop
style of shoulder patch, with a center insert for District 19. Additionally, it doesn't have a city flag patch, since
the flag patches were not worn on uniforms until May 1, 1971
- the same day sergeants started wearing the white shirts.
| Here's something you haven't seen since 1971 |
|
| Old shirt for Lieutenants and Captains |
|
| old Cadet shirt - I still need this |
|
| From the late 1960s; the Cadet program was revived in 2005 after it was dormant for over 30 years |
| From the 1960s - breast badge - still need this |
|
| Bottom - this is where the nameplate was inserted - see the holes |
| Hat shield from the 1960s |
|
| I still need this item |
| Cadet hat with shield from the 1960s |
|
| I still need this item |
| Note the Haymarket statue in the center |
|
| Is this patch actually used - if so, since when? |
| Nameplate & Unit Identifier from Off. Tom Marquez |
|
| Unit Identifiers became popular after CPD stopped using patches with the District numbers in 1981 |
| Plastic Unit Identifiers from the 1980s |
|
| The nameplate attached to the top part; I obviously don't have all of these |
| Brass coat button - current city seal style |
|
| The small coat buttons are also used on all supervisors' hats to secure the cord or strap |
| Very old button - has obsolete city seal style |
|
| Used before the city seal had a design change in 1907; not from the coats pictured above |
| Odd colored flag patch |
|
The above patch shows what happened after one manufacturer failed to use color-fast threads on all of the colors.
This occurred from approximately 1995 - 2000.
| old CPA patch |
|
| On the pedestal, it says, "I Command Peace" |
| Ethnic Pride - Top - Puerto Rico, Ireland, Africa |
|
| Bottom - Ukraine, Poland, Italy - there are several other country patches, which I still need |
| More ethnic pride patches |
|
| a second one from Ireland, Japan & Mexico |
| Speaking of ethnic pride - |
|
| Obvious novelty item, popular on St. Patrick's Day! |
| newer star based on the current design |
|
| Other "ethnic" stars exist, in ranks from Police Officer thru Commander |
| Military Pride patches |
|
|
| This club was officially recognized by the CPD in 1998 |
| The Baseball Club was formed in 2001 |
|
| Commemmorative novelty patch |
|
| St. Michael, patron saint of police officers |
|
| I still need the above patch |
| Left - motorcycle club |
|
| Right - newer bike novelty patch |
|
| This novelty item came in many different ranks |
| Commemmorative star celebrates 150 years |
|
| This is the pie plate style - a real pie plate 6-point star is pictured below - 2 photos down |
| Novelty - replica pie plate |
|
| The real pie plate appears below |
The below 6-point
star is a "pie plate" style used between 1907 and 1955. On the back is the manufacturer's stamp, Meyer & Wenthe
Chicago, which was a badge company at 24 South Jefferson Street until it was acquired in the 1980s by Everson Ross;
Smith & Warren of White Plains, New York, acquired ER in 1999.
This large star measures
3 6/16 inches across. Compare this to the 5 point stars used from 1955 to 2003, which measured
2 10/16 inches across, and the current 5 point stars (except for Exempt ranks) which measure 2 13/16
inches across. In other words, the old pie plates were huge. It has a large, thick pin on the back. Note
the lack of any rank. Exempt rank stars measure 3 inches across.
As with the 1955-2003
stars, many suburban Chicago police departments used a similar design for their stars, including the large applied
copper numbers. Since this star has only 3 numerals, it is likely one of the older ones. Another Chicago badge manufacturer that made this style of badge was the C.H. Hanson Company.
| Obsolete star - "pie plate" style |
|
| Used between 1907 and 1955 |
| The back of the pie plate |
|
| The manufacturer's name is at the top left |
| The manufacturer's name stamp |
|
| This is known as the star's hallmark |
| RETIRED - same size as the above star |
|
| Hallmarked on rear - C.H. Hanson Co. Chicago |
| old Pagoda style - pre 1907; old style city seal |
|
| Patrol Driver; I still need this star |
| Pre- 1907 |
|
| I still need this star |
| Pre 1907 |
|
| I still ned this star |
| pre 1907 - Driver |
|
| I still need this star |
| pre 1907 - Messenger |
|
| I still need this star |
| Pre 1907 and uses the old style city seal |
|
| I still need this star |
| Circa 1927; Commissioner Michael Hughes |
|
| I still need this star; note that the star tips spell out Hughes |
| Below- note the HUGHES tips |
|
| I still need the above star |
| Inspector - inverted 5 point star |
|
| I still need this star |
| Obsolete badge |
|
| very old |
The obsolete badge - note the 6 points - the ball tips were specially applied.
This was used sometime between 1907 and 1955 during the period when the old 6 point "pie plate" style was used by
patrol officers, which became obsolete in 1955.
This pictured badge can be dated in part by the city seal. Prior to 1907, the city
seal had the Indian and the tall ship in opposite positions, and the center shield was different. The old style city
seal can be seen on one of the coat buttons I have pictured earlier on this site as well as on the 6-point star numbered
103 above, the 6-point star for Superintendent's staff pictured above and the 6-point patrol sergeant star number 4,
pictured below.
While patrol officers wore the giant 6-point star between 1907 and 1955, sergeants wore a
smaller 6-point star while higher ranks had 5-point stars. Some of the higher ranking stars used the "inverted style"
where the top has 2 star points sticking up and the bottom has the one point, which is the opposite of how a 5-point star
is worn today. This allowed people to distinguish higher ranks from a greater distance (or at least that was the theory).
One of the stars pictured just 2 pictures above this text is an inverted Inspector's star.
In 1955, CPD switched to 5-point stars with applied copper numbers for Patrolmen, Sergeants,
Lieutenants and Captains. The manufacturer for many of them was Metal Arts in Rochester, New York. Patrol Officers
[referred to back then as Patrolman and Patrolwoman on these stars] and Sergeants had the same general design, with pointed
tips. Lieutenants' and Captains' stars used a similar design to the Patrolman and Sergeant stars, but had ball tips.
The ball tips distinguished the higher ranks from a (short) distance. All of these stars were "stamped out" - on the
rear, you can see that the die "pushed out" the letters and design toward the front of the star, giving the letters and design
a raised up look, with a silver color, as there was no enamel used on these stars.
The Exempt rank stars (Commander and above) measure 3 inches across and are gold colored with black
letters, solid ball tips and a fancy design (filigree) on the star arms. I think Superintendent Wilson added colored
enamel to his star and other highest ranking stars. Below is an old Deputy Commissioner's star. I believe
CPD has not changed the basic design of these exempt statrs since at least 1960.
As a result of this web site, some guys have asked me to describe where to find the manufacturer's
name "Metal Arts" on their 1955-2003 stars. Here goes, from memory - I took a good look at one years ago -
Look on the back, in the area behind where the numbers would be. This is the long blank area
with "arrows" on the left and right. Toward the left side near the top of this area, it says Metal Arts and may also
say Roch NY. It is VERY difficult to read this unless you're a lot younger than me or you're using a magnifying
glass. A picture of this is below.
Note that having the badge manufacturer's name on the badge is known as having a "hallmark" and this
helps to date, and authenticate, the badge. The new 5-point stars that started being issued in 2003 say "Blackinton"
on the back, and it is much easier to read this than the old Metal Arts hallmark. Note that some of the newer
1955-2003 stars have a distinct "Blackinton" hallmark somewhere on them. I don't have one to look at, but I recall seeing
it pretty easily on one a few years back. I also don't know when, or at what star number, Metal Arts stopped making
the 1955-issued stars and Blackinton took over, but believe it was in the late 1990's.
In 1989, a new style star came out for Detectives, with black enamel in the top panel which
was the first "lower rank" badge to have any enamel. These also had pointed tips. In 2003, the 1955-issued stars
started to slowly get replaced by a new design. The new 2003 styles are copyrighted by the CPD and the stars
have a serial number on the back. The 2003 stars for Lieutenant and Captain have ball tips, but the balls are not true
spheres - from the front, they look like ball tips, but upon close examination, they only look like full balls from the front
- they are flat on the back.
The 2003 stars have letters and numbers that are black enamel.
Around 2004, CPD started issuing Duty Disability stars. The center city seal is a different
color scheme than the other 2003-issue stars and while there is no star number on the front, there is a serial number on the
back.
In the very old Lieutenant's star down below a few pictures, the letters are soft fired enamel
- the letters are indented into the front of the star, and filled in with black enamel. The black color of the letters
rests in the indentations in the star. This has a 2 digit number on the back. Can anyone give me more info as
to when this old star might have been used? The center seal shows wear as if it had been in a case.
| Metal Arts hallmark - Metal Arts Co. Roch. N.Y. |
|
| 1955 to 2003 style |
|
| No copper numbers on this reproduction |
| Old Reserve Corporal |
|
| I still need this Reserve star |
| Pre 1907 |
|
| has old city seal; I still need this star |
| old sergeant's star |
|
| I still need this item |
|
| I still need this retired star |
|
| I still need this Retired star. |
|
| I still need this retired Captain's star |
| Old star - age unknown - soft fired enamel letters |
|
| Hallmarked Meyer & Wenthe Chicago; # on the back; full ball tips; 3 inches across |
| AMVETS - American Veterans of World War II |
|
| old star |
| old Special Police - still need this one |
|
| The Y is explained below the pic containing the school guard patches - way below |
| junk novelty item |
|
| not in my collection; it's here just for show |
| Deputy Commissioner - obsolete rank since 1960 |
|
| I still need this star |
| The above star has this ring insert on it |
|
| Does anyone have the story behind these ring inserts? |
| Oldest badge on my web site - from 1889 |
|
| This is the second badge used by the CPD |
The above badge is
the second one worn by CPD officers, and it dates to approximately 1889.
Note that the image of
the Indian and the tall ship appear on opposite sides of where they appear now – the city seal was redesigned around
1906.
According to the March
2003 issue of Chicago Police Star magazine, page 3, here is information on the pictured badge:
“In 1889, a fancy
silver shield replaced the star worn by Chicago patrolmen, but the experiment lasted only one month.”
Other information indicates
that this badge was known as the coat badge, since it was worn on the outside of coats.
Additionally, this design or style was very unpopular with the officers, so in short order, policemen again started
wearing a star instead of this shield.
This badge has the manufacturer’s
stamp on the back – known as the hallmark.
| Explosives Tech |
|
| This patch is believed to be a novelty item |
| Pistol Team |
|
The first two Pistol Teams were formed in 1974. Each team had 5 members which represented the
CPD in local, regional and national pistol matches. Special caps were worn by the members which had special pie piece
shaped patches on them (wish I had one so you could see a picture!). The FOP Lodge Number 7 has supported the team financially
since 1981. The team has won many honors over the years.
| Memorial patch |
|
Patrolman Joseph Cali observed an auto parked illegally in a bus stop. As Officer Cali exited
his squad car and began writing the parking ticket, he was struck by a sniper's bullet fired from the third floor of a high-rise
building. Officer Cali died the following day.
The above information was obtained from the FOP Lodge 7 Police Memorial Monument, reprinted in the
book, Chicago Police Department, Pictorial History (which is a great book).
Of all the patches and other items in my CPD collection, this patch is among the most valued, since
it memorializes an officer who gave his life in the line of duty.
| Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 7 |
|
| Unofficial novelty star, but still a nice item |
| Patch with star # 911, in honor of the heroes |
|
| Patch for the 2003 star style, copyrighted by CPD |
|
| I need the other 2003 star patches in other ranks - detective, sergeant, lieutenant and captain |
| Patch for the June 2006 police insignia show |
|
| The show was held in Rosemont, Illinois - a Chicago suburb -hence the rose on the star |
| And here is the "show star" |
|
| All of these stars had 2006 as the star number |
| Concerned Wives & Friends of the Chicago Police |
|
| Can someone tell us when this came out - it looks old |
| Top- To Tow and Serve |
|
| Bottom - the license plate says CPD; MS is for Marion Santella who designed this in the late 70s |
|
| Air show patch with the Blue Angels team |
| Left - hat shield patch |
|
| Right - the Grim Reaper |
| Top left-Hurry up or I'm going 99 - one person car |
|
| This place is going to the dogs |
|
| Note the checkerboard squares collar |
The Canine Unit was activated in 1961 and in the beginning it had six officer-handlers plus their
dogs. All of the dogs were German Shepherds. The first female canine officer joined the unit in 1979.
| Your helpful canine partner |
|
| Hurry up or I'm going "99"! - go as a one person car |
| Left - Wild Wild West Side |
|
| Right - Seal of Approval - baseball or softball team |
| Oldest one is top center - Technical Services |
|
| Horses were used again starting July 1974 |
|
| Before 1974, horses were last used 1948; the 1st female officer on the Mounted Unit was in 1975 |
| This was used on the horses a LONG time ago |
|
| Note the two 6-point stars. I still need the above item |
|
| Left - from a trainee class in 2000 |
| Crime Lab & Forensic Services |
|
Regarding the Crime
Lab and Forensic Services patches above - Note the slight differences in the star in the top left patch and the one
next to it; these were actually worn on the left shoulder of the lab coats; the far left one may be first issue.
The patch with the
years 1929 - 1996 commemmorates the CPD Crime Lab which existed during those years or when the CPD used the crime lab at Northwestern
University (which actually started in 1930). The need for such
a lab was obvious after the St. Valenine's Day massacre in 1929. The NU lab was called the Scientific Crime Detection
Laboratory and its plaque logo is used in the CPD Crime Lab patch design. The city paid NU to set up a crime lab, but
the CPD finally had its own crime lab starting August 1938. Starting in 1996, lab functions were performed by the
Illinois State Police Forensic Science Center in
Chicago.
The above patch was thought to be a prototype for the Lab. I have since learned that
it was designed by James A. Mauer when he was Executive Director of the Office of Municipal Investigations, which became the
Inspector General's office.
|
| I still need the above badge |
| Top right is current style |
|
| The Y is for 3 major areas of the city- North, West & South; the East side is Lake Michigan |
from the Municipal Code of Chicago
1-8-070 Municipal device-City vehicle identification.
The municipal device, for use by the varied unofficial
interests of the city and its people, shall show a Y-shaped figure in a circle, colored and designed to suit individual tastes
and needs. All automobiles and other vehicles which are owned by the city, except those used by the commissioner of police,
and the detective bureau of the department of police, shall be distinctly marked as the property of the city by painting or
placing thereon in a conspicuous place, in such a manner that the same cannot be removed, the municipal device, together with
the words "City of Chicago," and the name of the department operating the said automobile or other vehicle. (Prior code 2-7)
The above is from the Chicago Public Library website.
Per the Chicago Historical Society, the Y symbol represents the 3 major parts of the city,
as marked by the North and South branches of the Chicago River - North, West and South. For the most part, the East
side of Chicago is Lake Michigan. The Y symbol is included in the architecture of some older buildings.
| Top left & bottom left are the oldest |
|
| These two are from the 1970s |
|
| Hostage/Barricaded/Terrorist Unit |
|
| The HBT was formed in 1979 |
Only the subdued HBT patch was actually worn; the colored one is a novelty. In late
2005 or early 2006, the term SWAT came into use.
The 2 matching SWAT patches are pictured below. Again, the colored patch is a novelty item
and the subdued one was actually worn. The colored version is the logo used on SWAT vehicles. It's
very hard to see, even on the items themselves, but on the new SWAT patches, at the bottom of the center seal, where the words,
Urbs in Horto would be, the letters "HBT" are sewn in.
As of 2007, the SWAT team uses an olive drab uniform. I have an olive drab patch pictured below
but still need this olive drab patch.
Also, there are 2 different subdued versions of the flag patch. Can someone tell me whether
both are worn, and why there are 2 different ones with the colors reversed? The flag patch to the right is hat size.
| This is 1 5/8 inches square |
|
| This has velcro on the back |
| Closeup - HBT |
|
| New novelty SWAT patch |
|
| The colored SWAT & HBT are actually the same shade of gray; they look different in the pictures. |
| The SWAT team has drab uniforms as of 2007 |
|
| I still need the olive drab SWAT patch |
| gray and black - version 1 |
|
| A different gray & black version |
|
| gray and black version #3 |
|
The below subdued shoulder and flag patches are believed to be novelty items.
| olive drab version |
|
| Another olive drab version |
|
| camouflage version |
|
| This was overexposed to show its colors |
|
| I still need the above patch |
| Desert camo patches + flag patches |
|
| Another version of the desert camo flag patch |
|
| I still need the above patch |
| Narcotics & Gang Intel Section |
|
| OCD - Organized Crime Division |
| Novelty TRU patch |
|
The Targeted Response
Unit is deployed to "hot spots" to combat gangs, guns, drugs and homicides.
The officers wear uniforms and patrol in marked cars. One
of their strategies is to conduct stops for traffic offenses and use those stops to look for other violations, such as gun
possession.
The Targeted Response Unit is assigned to the Grand Crossing, Calumet
and Gresham
districts on the South Side and the Harrison district on the West Side.
| more novelty items |
|
|
| CPD divers have completed over 500 dives in Chicago waters |
The Emerald Society was formed in May 1982. Its primary purpose is to honor police officers
and firefighters killed in the line of duty. Its secondary purpose is to promote Irish culture and music. It has
played all over the U.S. and in Ontario, Canada. The Band's patch is pictured above and is worn on the left shoulder.
They wear the city flag patch on the right shoulder. The other pictured patch is a novelty item from St. Patrick's Day
2001.
| CPD Pipes and Drums epaulet |
|
| Used by permission from Officer John W. "Bones" Ryan |
The epaulets pictured are worn by members of the CPD Pipes and Drums. The epaulets are made from their kilt pattern
which is the "Earl of St. Andrew" pattern because the pattern closely resembles the colors worn by CPD officers.
| Another epaulet |
|
| Used by permission |
| Emerald Society star |
|
| still need this one |
| Pipes & Drums 25th anniversary star |
|
| It's a 3 inch silver colored star with green lettering |
The logo in the center of the 25th anniversary star is an Irish Trinity Knot.
The 25th anniversary was in 2007 and around September 2007, the stars were issued to reflect this important milestone.
Members wore them until the end of 2008.
Only 300 of these stars were made.
While it's hard to see in the picture, the words, 25th Anniversary, are done in green sparkle enamel.
| The Bicycle Patrol Unit was established in 1992 |
|
| In 1981, District 22 was among the first districts to have a bicycle patrol |
|
| new in 2006 |
| round Marine Unit patch |
|
| newer style - Marine Unit |
|
| Very old |
|
| Made with thick metallic thread - known as a bullion style patch |
The above item is an
official issue, CPD embroidered blazer patch/badge. It attaches with 3 pins to the outside of a blazer pocket.
An
alternative uniform in civilian dress was authorized - grey slacks, navy blue blazer, white shirt and dark colored tie (burgundy,
navy blue or combo).
Mostly exempt rank (sworn) and senior administrative personnel (unsworn) were issued this blazer
patch. It was used at least during the 1980s.
Does anyone know whether
this patch is still used?
| This is approximately 12 inches across |
|
| I'm proud to say that my grandfather was a Chicago fireman in the 1920s |
| Gang and Drug Task Force patches |
|
| Newer Gang Task Force patch |
|
| I still need this Gang patch |
| Terrorism & otherTask Force patches |
|
Bottom left - FBI, CPD, U.S. Secret Service
Bottom right - FBI, CPD, Illinois State Police; the WWP on the bottom means "Wonderful World of Police"
- an inside joke. The beacon that's pictured in this one, which is also referred to in the center patch with the words,
"The beacon shines brightly" is another inside joke.
Top right - FBI, CPD and ISP.
|
| Terrorism Liaison Officer |
| For those who liked the game of Monopoly |
|
| "This card may be kept until needed or sold" |
| Another card |
|
| Lockup Key |
|
| Not exactly insignia, but maybe you carried one while on duty |
| Here's another key you may have carried |
|
| CPD handcuff key made by ASP - can anyone say when these were made? |
| Old Callbox Key |
|
| Some guys have the actual callbox with phone, set up as a working home telephone |
| This may have been department issue -100 years ago |
|
| I still need this belt buckle; I have photos of it being worn in the early 1900s |
| great bumper sticker |
|
| Superintendent's Hat - from the early 1980s |
|
| This hat is also used by Commanders and all higher ranks |
The hats - Superintendent O.W. Wilson redesigned the hats in the 1960s. As the
story goes, he was familiar with the design of the police hats in England, where their hats have 3 layers of
"checkerboard squares." Their yellow raincoats sometimes have 2 layers of the squares on them. He decided
to use 2 layers for the CPD hats, with blue & white for police officers and yellow & blue for supervisors.
Security guards in Chicago couldn't use this hat design, in order for people to be able to immediately distinguish true police
officers from security guards just by looking at the hat. Security guards used to dress as closely as possible to the
police officers, including blue shirts, dark blue pants, and pie piece/teardrop shaped shoulder patches. But the hats
were always different - no checkerboard squares for the security guards.
The idea for the checkerboard squares on British police hats came about in 1932 by the
Chief Constable of the Glasgow, Scotland Police.
The checkerboard squares hats slowly started coming into use by the CPD starting approximately
1963, especially with the new officers. Just about everyone used them by 1968 or so. There are versions for police
officer/detective, sergeant, lieutenant/captain, and commander through superintendent.
The winter hats are 14 ounce round virgin wool crown and the summer hats are 10 to 10 1/2
ounce versions. The frame band of the summer style hat is made of nylon yarn with ventilation holes 15 per inch in length
and 22 per inch in width.
There are 4 versions of hat badges (referred to as shields) -silver colored for police
officer which has a number on it with no rank, silver colored detective that says just that, gold colored sergeant which says
just that, and a gold colored one for all ranks from lieutenant on up that does not have a rank on it - and this is the only
CPD hat shield that actually says "Police" and "Chicago" on it -- it says "Department of Police" and "City of Chicago."
It also says "Urbs in Horto," Latin for "City in a Garden." These words are impossible to read unless you're inches
away from the hat shield because the letters are the same color as the rest of the shield, and while this hat shield is for
the highest supervisory ranks, it is the smallest of the CPD's hat shields.
While sergeants' and all other supervisors' hat shields are gold colored, the stars worn
on uniform shirts and coats are silver colored for sergeants, lieutenants and captains, and this is true for the 1955-2003
stars as well as for the new (2003) stars.
The police officers' hat shields were redesigned around 2003. The old style had large
numerals for police officers which were individually applied. The new design still uses numbers for the police officers
but they are thick, black engraved enamel rather than soldered on as separate silver colored numerals. The background
panel for the numbers is now a solid base rather than open, and the base is silver colored. This makes the numbers more
legible due to the high contrast. The police officers' hat shield is the largest of the CPD's hat shields. The
shield number matches the star number.
The enameled numbers are slightly shorter in height than the numbers used on the old style hat shields,
but the new numbers obviously won't fall off. The new hat shields have a more pronounced curvature to them and have
some other very minor differences to the old style hat shields - for example, in the Indian's headdress and in the center
shield.
The CPD also has special hat shields worn by officers who are on the CPD Honor Guard. These
hat shields are similar to the current silver colored hat shields except instead of having any number, they say Honor Guard.
These officers also wear special stars which are similar to the current Police Officer stars except they have the words, Honor
Guard, instead of having a star number.
The Detectives' hat shield is silver colored. It was issued starting in 1989 when Detectives
were issued new stars. This hat shield was not redesigned in 2003, as the Patrol Officers' hat shields were redesigned.
Obviously, Detectives rarely wear a uniform - mainly for police funerals, memorial services and on election days.
Supervisors' hats have a gold button on the right and left sides to hold the upper ranks' strap or
sergeants' cord in place. These gold buttons say "Chicago City Police" and have a rendition of the city seal.
They are identical to the gold buttons used on the sleeves of the wool "reefer" coats and the pockets of all the
coats.
The hat shields, which use the city seal, have had the same basic design at least
since 1908 based on several photographs I have seen. It was in 1907 that the city redesigned the city seal,
and this design is still in use.
I still need all of these hat shields.
| Exempt rank hat - Commander and above |
|
| I still need this newer version of the exempt rank hat |
Take a good look at the "scrambled eggs" on this visor and compare them to that of the first hat
shown way above.
On the hat way above, the scrambled eggs are made of a thick, metallic thread, which is difficult
to clean, and the visor is made of felt-type non-reflective material. On the hat shown just above, the scrambled eggs
are made out of thick cloth and give off a brighter look.
Also note that on the hat just above, the checkerboard squares is actually a hat band made out of
elastic, which is different from the typical hat band used today. Underneath, there's just the actual hat with no design.
The hat bands seen on some of the hats on this site, including the "loose" ones I have pictured, are thicker and serve 2 purposes
- they can be removed easily to be cleaned, and serve as head warmers in the winter.
On the hat way above, there is no hat band like what is used today. The blue and yellow squares
on the hat are part of its design, and are woven in such a way as to allow air to flow in to help keep the officer cooler
in the summer. In the winter, a solid hat band would be put on to keep the cold air from flowing in.
| 4 hatbands - top and 3rd one are old elastic style |
|
| 2nd and bottom one are current style & are approx. 26 1/2 inches long |
| Lieutenant's and Captain's hat |
|
| Sergeant's Hat |
|
| Traffic Division - Police Officer's hat |
|
| This hat became obsolete in 1982 |
The Traffic Division officers used to wear white hats for better visibility. In mid-1982,
the Traffic Division white hats became obsolete. There were still some officers assigned at Loop intersections
until approximately 1990.
The oldest patch pictured on my site is way above - it says "Chicago Police Traffic" and is piepiece/teardrop
shaped. After that, there was the similarly shaped patch with just a "T" as the center insert. Other traffic-related
patches I heard of include the following - all of which I still need:
Traffic Enforcement Patches
#1 - pie piece/teardrop shaped with centered spoked wheel with wings on both sides.
1948-1950 - Traffic Enforcement. Assigned to Districts
in 2 door Coupes. Would drive around in Districts enforcing traffic violations by writing
parking/moving violations.
#2 - pie piece/teardrop with centered spoked wheel only. Foot Patrol
in Districts. Assigned to intersections for traffic control with their whistles.
#3 - pie piece/teardrop with centered spoked wheel with arrow thru it. Worn by AID [Accident Investigations Division] 1948. Would respond to and
handle traffic accidents.
| Police Officer's & Detective's hat |
|
| Detectives rarely wear hats but when they do, this is it |
| OLD STYLE HAT |
|
| This one pre-dates the checkerboard squares hats |
This hat is an old style which was used before the switch to the checkerboard squares style.
This hat was an optional hat used in warm weather. It is "basket weave" style and is known
as an eight point hat. The crown was wool on the regular hats. It has a black strap around the front,
which is either leather or plastic. It also has gold buttons on the left and right sides and the buttons say "Chicago
City Police" and have the city seal. The buttons look identical to the buttons used on the present-day supervisors'
hats.
In spite of the strap and the gold buttons, this hat was for patrol officers.
In the picture below, this is the wool hat version. It was used in the 1950s and 1960s - perhaps
even in the 1940s. It was used until the switch to the checkerboard squares style, and the switch occurred between late
1967 and early 1968.
| Old wool hat used in the 50s & 60s & maybe sooner |
|
| This was worn right before the switch to the checkerboard squares |
CPD has hat bands which officers can wrap around their hats. Older bands
were sewn at the ends, but the newer ones fasten with velcro. The very oldest ones are elastic, and an elastic version
of the supervisors' and patrol officers' hatbands are pictured within these hat photos. Hatbands come in the standard
color schemes, blue and white for patrol, and blue and gold for supervisors. There are also more colorful
ethnic pride-type color schemes for the hat bands, apparently used in parades. Does anyone know when the hat bands
first came out?
| Police Officers' & Sergeants' baseball hats |
|
| These came out around 2004 |
| Forensic Services & Inspector |
|
|
| I still need the Deputy Chief & Deputy Superintendent baseball hats |
| The Chief of Patrol rank is now obsolete -- |
|
| It is now a Deputy Superintendent position |
| Only ONE person in the CPD holds this rank |
|
| I still need the Superintendent baseball hat |
| Old riot helmet from the 1960s |
|
| This one has the gold band rather than a face shield |
| One of the old blue riot helmets from the 1960s |
|
| This has the removable face shield |
The dark spots seen on the helmet that are above the star are the remains of the number-stickers
that went above the star. What you see is actually sticky residue left on the helmet, in the shape of the various numerals.
In the picture below, there is an unused helmet sticker to show more detail.
| Closeup of the blue riot helmet's sticker |
|
| Reflective vehicle sticker |
|
| Design copyrighted by CPD; still need the current CAPS sticker with the star design |
| Another reflective vehicle sticker |
|
| Design copyrighted by CPD |
| Lapel pin versions of the new (2003) star styles |
|
| Designs are copyrighted by the Chicago PD |
Top left - Police Officer; Top right - Sergeant; Middle - Detective; Bottom left - Lieutenant;
Bottom right - Captain.
Police Officer pin - while there is black behind the words surrounding the center city seal, there
is no color outside of this ring.
Detective's pin - similar to the Police Officer's pin but has an additional black ring around
the center.
Sergeant's pin - has dark blue behind the words surrounding the center city seal and it has a dark
blue ring around the center.
Lieutenant's pin - has red behind the words surrounding the center city seal; also has ball tips.
Captain's pin - similar to the Lieutenant's pin and has an additional red ring around the center;
also has ball tips.
Pictured are lapel pin versions, not the full size stars. The real stars have numbers on them,
as follows:
Police Officer - 2200 to 19999
Sergeant - 300 to 2199
Detective - 20000 to 21999
Lieutenant - 100 to 800
Captain - 40 to 100
| These pins are authorized for the uniform |
|
The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation is a not-for-profit organization
established in 2004, dedicated to honoring the lives and memories of our fallen heroes. The Foundation provides support and
assistance to the families of Chicago Police Officers who sacrificed their lives.
Click HERE to go to the web site of the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation
| Never Forget - Always Remember |
|
| CPD Memorial license plate - sample |
|
| I still need the above item |
| Obsolete pin - later replaced by FTO patch |
|
| Worn by what are now called Field Training Officers |
| Chicago Police Department award ribbons |
|
| This is from 2006 - there are more ribbons now |
Award ribbons -
Top row - Lambert Tree Award for Bravery
2nd row - Police medal, Award of Valor
3rd row - 100 Club, Superintendent's Award of Merit, Police Blue Star
4th row - Police Blue Shield, Arnold Mireles Special Partnership, Special Commendation
5th row - Lifesaving, Officer of the Month, Department Commendation
6th row - Military Deployment, Problem Solving, Honorable Mention
7th row - Joint Operations, Unit Meritorious, CAPS
Bottom - 1996 Democratic National Convention, Crime Reduction, Outside Recognition
These ribbons are arranged from top to bottom in their order of importance.
Lambert Tree was a circuit judge in the late 1800s who, along with Mayor Carter Harrison, established
a fund for awards to police officers and firefighters. The awards were established by city ordinance on November
9, 1885. The Lambert Tree/Carter Harrison awards are the highest honors that can be awarded to Chicago police officers
and firefighters by the departments. Note that the Lambert Tree item shown above is a metal bar instead of a cloth ribbon.
The Police Medal is an award presented by the Superintendent to recipients of the Award of Valor,
Award of Merit, the Blue Star Award or the Police Blue Shield when, in the Superintendent's judgment, the accomplishments
or performance of the individual member was so outstanding as to justify additional recognition.
The Award of Valor (pictured below) is granted to any member for an act of outstanding bravery and
heroism by which the recipient has demonstrated in great degree the characteristics of selflessness, personal courage
and devotion to duty.
The Blue Star (pictured below) is an award granted to an officer who has been seriously, critically,
or fatally injured while in direct performance of police duty. It may also be conferred if the injury was averted by
the wearing of body armor.
The Blue Shield award is granted to a sworn member who, as a result of accidental cause, has
been seriously, critically or fatally injured while in the performance of police duty.
The Hundred Club Valor Award was established in 1980 by the Hundred Club of Cook County and may be
given to police officers and firefighters within Cook County. It is the only civilian medal authorized for use on the
uniform.
The Superintendent's Award of Merit is granted for an outstanding accomplishment which has resulted
in improved administration, improved operation or substantial savings in manpower or operation costs.
The Arnold Mireles award is for officers and others whose actions have improved the quality of life
in their communities. Mr. Mireles was a 35-year-old community activist who was murdered because of his efforts
in December 1997.
The Special Commendation is given to officers who have significantly improved public safety and crime
prevention.
The Military Deployment ribbon was first awarded to 88 officers on May 25, 2005.
CAPS refers to Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy.
There is also the Richard J. Daley Medal of Honor which is an award presented by the Superintendent
in memory of Mayor Richard J. Daley's outstanding service and dedication to the citizens of Chicago. This award is presented
to an individual whose accomplishments or contributed services have brought credit to the City of Chicago and/or the Chicago
Police Department.
There are other ribbons not yet pictured above; these are pictured below. These next 7
pictures are from ChicagoCop.com, a web site more fully explained below; used here by permission.
Note that I still need the actual medals described here.
| William Powers Leadership |
|
| I still need this ribbon |
| Attendance Recognition |
|
| I still need this ribbon |
| Traffic Stop of the Month |
|
| I still need this ribbon |
| Top Gun |
|
| I still need this ribbon |
| FOP Distinguished Service |
|
| I still need this ribbon |
| Deployment Operations Center |
|
| I still need this ribbon |
| Crisis Intervention Team bar |
|
| I still need this item |
| Lambert Tree medal - front view |
|
| I still need this item |
| Lambert Tree medal - rear view |
|
| Medal of Valor from the 1970s |
|
| I still need this Medal of Valor |
| Closeup - Valor Award |
|
| from the 1970s |
|
| I still need this Blue Star Award medal |
The medals pictured
below, and pictures of the rank insignia way below, are taken from ChicagoCop.com, an unofficial resource site which
has details on award ribbons, rank insignia, etc. Pictures of these medals and rank insignia courtesy
of Chicago
Cop.com; used here by permission.
Click HERE to go to that web site.
| Police Blue Shield |
|
| I still need this medal |
| Police Medal |
|
| I still need this medal |
| Hundred Club |
|
| I still need this medal |
| Merit Award |
|
| I still need this medal |
| William Powers Leadership Award |
|
| I still need this medal |
| Richard J. Daley Award |
|
| I still need this item; closeups are below |
| Spirit of Chicago award ribbon |
|
| Awarded for things such as working the Chicago Transit Authority detail |
| Recognition medal |
|
| The current Fitness & Appearance hangers do not indicate the year |
| Unusual white version |
|
| Can anyone tell us when this white version was used? |
| Traffic Whistle - 1966 - officers had to buy one |
|
| Says Traffic Ace, Sports Inc., Franzite, Chicago on it |
| Sergeant's baton |
|
| The tassel and cord are grayish white |
| Another baton - same tassel color as above baton |
|
| Note the differently braided cord - possibly older |
| Loose Sergeant's tassel - 9 feet long tip to tip |
|
| It takes talent to braid this on to all of the batons for a promotion ceremony |
| Sgt. Dick Tracy received this on Jan. 2, 1962 |
|
| Dick retired as a captain and lives near me |
| The tassel is clearly blue-gray for this one |
|
| The first 2 batons pictured have a grayish white tassel and cord |
| Lieutenant's baton - said to be very old |
|
| The color of the tassels notes the rank |
The baton - Sergeants had a grayish-blue tassel on their batons, Lieutenants and
Captains had red/maroon and exempt ranks had gold or possibly silver tassels (not sure on the exempt ones).
I believe that the Superintendent had a white tassel. The blue and red color schemes for Sergeants, Lieutenants and
Captains continue today with the new (2003) star badges - as seen in the picture above with the new lapel pins.
Depending upon the manufacturer of the batons, Sergeants' batons either had the grayish blue tassel
or a tassel that looked more gray than anything.
Also note that supervisors' batons have a "bump" on the handle end, while patrol officers'
batons presently do not, since there is no tassel on the patrol officers' batons at present. However,
in very old photos, such as from the early 1900s, patrol officers' batons had tassels on them.
As shown with the first 2 Sergeant's batons, there are 2 types of "cord" around the handles-
the fancy wrapping as on the red tassel as well as the tighter-wrapped version as shown in one of the top Sergeants'
batons pictured here. I heard that at one time there was ONE lady employed at the police academy whose duties included
making the cords for promotion ceremonies.
I still need the Superintendent's baton with white tassels (wish me luck on that one!). I also
need a baton with a black cord---
There used to be black corded batons used at funerals for officers who died in the line of duty.
These were used before the formal Honor Guard was instituted. A Sergeant from Special Activities would bring black
shoulder cords and the batons and hand them out to district officers who would stand at the entrance of the church and act
as an "honor guard". The Sergeant collected them when it was over.
Can someone tell me whether the black corded batons are still used?
Can someone tell me whether Commanders and other exempt ranks received a new baton upon promotion and if so, what is
the color of the tassels?
| Sergeant's baton - but possibly not from CPD |
|
| Can any of you guys tell me whether you have seen a Sgt's baton with such dark blue tassels? |
| Patrol Officer's baton |
|
| No tassels on these - but there used to be |
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The 3 pictures below show a baton with gold tassels and a cord that is red with greenish-blue throughout.
If this is a CPD baton, it is VERY old. I have seen black and white photos from the early 1900s showing CPD patrol
officers carrying batons that had light colored tassels, but I don't know whether the baton pictured here is one of those.
Can anyone tell us whether this baton with gold tassels is, in fact, CPD? Or - can you say for sure that
it is for some other department? Thx
| Need your help on the below baton |
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| Is the above baton an old CPD baton? |
| CPD Telescoping Baton |
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| Extends from 9 1/2 inches to 25 inches |
| Tip of the telescoping baton end cap |
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| Brass seal is similar to that of the CPD handcuff key pictured way above |
| 3 Display Cases |
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| These cases are 18 x 24 inches, mounted on small easels |
Some of you have asked
me - what do you do with this stuff - so above is a picture of 3 of my display cases. These are made of wood and glass
(not plexiglass), measure 18 x 24 inches, and lock at the bottom in 3 places. These cases allow me to properly display
the patches, on a white felt background. The cases have room for me to insert typed explanations of the items in case
the meaning or significance is not readily apparent.
At police insignia
shows, I can stand the cases upright by using the small easels.
Below are 2 photos
of part of my display at the Phoenix, Arizona police insignia show from 2006.
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| Above and below - Phoenix, AZ 2006 police insignia show |
Rank Insignia - pictured below
*Superintendent of Police - Four Silver Five-Pointed Stars
*First Deputy Superintendent - Three Silver Five-Pointed
Stars
*Deputy Superintendent - Two Silver Five-Pointed Stars
*Chief - One Silver Five-Pointed Star
*Assistant
Deputy Superintendent - Silver Spread Eagle for the Bureau of Operational Services; Gold Spread Eagle for the other ADSs
and for the Executive Assistant to the Superintendent
*Deputy Chief - Silver Oak Leaf
*Commander, Coordinator, Director,
Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent & Administrator of Personnel Services - Gold Oak Leaf
*Captain
- Two Silver Bars
*Lieutenant - One Silver Bar
*Sergeant - Three Chevrons
*Police Officer, Field Training Officer - FTO cloth patch, similar to the sergeants' chevrons [pictued way above]
*Police Officer
Officers are also assigned as Detective, Police Technician, Patrol Specialist, Investigator, Gang Crime Specialist, Police
Agent, Traffic Specialist, with no (known) special rank insignia as far as cloth patches or military style logo. Detectives
have their own distinctive stars and some of the other positions may have had their own distinctive stars in times past -
please let me know.
Can someone tell me whether the rank of Inspector still exists? If so, does this rank still wear the uniform insignia
of a Lieutenant as in times past?
Several years ago, the Superintendent designated a 2 star chief spot for the Chief of Patrol, because the Chief of Patrol
was in charge of so many people. Effective late 2005, the Chief of Patrol position was phased out; then it became a
Deputy Superintendent position. This took the CPD from four Chief spots (Chief of Patrol, Chief of Staff, Chief
of Detectives, and Chief of Organized Crime) down to only three.
Note that in 1971, all of the deputy superintendents wore 3 stars; the chiefs wore a silver spread eagle; the assistant
deputy superintendents and deputy chiefs wore the silver oak leaf; commanders, directors and coordinators wore the gold oak
leaf; and inspectors wore the single silver bar along with lieutenants.
Pictures of the rank insignia are below and are
taken from ChicagoCop.com, an unofficial resource site which has details on award ribbons, rank insignia, etc. Pictures
of the rank insignia courtesy of Chicago Cop.com; used here by permission. A direct link to that
site is above the pictures of some of the awards medals.
| Old light |
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| Can anyone say when this blue light was used? I still need this |
I think, but am not 100% sure, that the CPD started to use the above blue round top single light after O.W. Wilson became
bossman in 1960. Before that, based on photos I've seen, CPD used a similar round top light, but it was red.
I would love to have any of these lights in my collection.
| Old light bar |
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| Can anyone say when this was used? I still need this |
| Old Mars light |
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| I still need one of these lights |
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