Department Badge History

Since its founding in 1953, the Waterford Police Department has issued 3 official badge styles. This page documents the different styles of badges that have been issued over the years, along with a brief history of each.

The numbers on the badge do not mean what most people think. When the department was founded, the badges were purchased in matching sets, with 2 breast badges and 1 hat badge comprising a full set. The original badges, series 1, were numbered sequentially. They were issued to officers by seniority, with badge number 1 going to the most senior patrolman. This system does not reflect the employee's actual "badge number" as is commonly believed.

As officers were retired or promoted, badges were exchanged among employees to reflect their current position in seniority. This practice continued with series 2 and 3 badges until 1999, when it was finally abandoned. In 2000, the department began to issue badge sets to newly hired officers with their actual badge number on it. The rank was officially changed from Patrolman, to Patrol Officer (briefly) to Police Officer.

Current issue badges, which are series 3, are mixed between the old seniority number system and the newer actual badge number system. In addition, current series 3 badges carry "patrolman," "patrol officer," and "police officer" designations.
Series 1
The breast badge and matching hat badge. The badge's have an unknown maker and was issued from 1953 to the mid-1960s. 

Police Badge Series Hat Badge
Police Badge Series Breast Badge
Series 2
Badge number 27 has an unknown maker. Replaced (or supplemented) the 1st series as the department expanded. The badge replaced the series 1 until the mid-1980s.

These badges were later recycled by adding a panel with the word reserve on it above the patrolman rocker. The revised badges were issued to all active Reserve Officers until 2002.

Police Badge Series 2
Series 3
Badge set number 32 was manufactured by Blackinton and was issued from mid-1980s until present. This set is an older example of a Patrolman seniority number issue. Newer badges have a full color center seal and 3 digit numbers reflecting the wearer's actual badge number. Uniform Officers and Sergeants are issued silver badges, while Detectives and Lieutenants and above are issued gold badges.

Police Badge Series 3A
Police Badge Series 3B
Civil Defense
The badge example is a unique example. Until 2002, no 1 working here even knew it existed. It was issued to a Waterford Police Auxiliary Lieutenant named Tom Manion. After World War II, local police departments usually had Civil Defense members that they could call up in the event of a natural disaster or act of war. Over time, the Civil Defense programs were abandoned and many departments elected to retain their members as (usually) unpaid volunteers or Reserve Officers.

The badge, along with the items pictured below was returned to the department on February 21, 2002. Note the date on the newspaper article. It was returned on the 40th anniversary of the article! Also returned were a photo of Mr. Manion in his uniform, and his issued Civil Defense identification card.

Millennium Commemorative Badge
The badge pictured below was a special issue in 1999. It is a Millennium commemorative badge. The badge is a solid, custom die-struck badge made by G.R. Davis, Ltd. The badges were privately purchased and were authorized to replace the official issue badges between 1999 and 2000. The officers that were employed at that time were allowed to retain them. They have since been retired and the uniformed members of the department have returned to wearing the series 3 badges.

Police Badge Commemorative