POLICE DEPARTMENT PATCH

The New York City Police Department patch was introduced on July 1st, 1971. It provides a distinctive uniform emblem which identifies all members of the Department to the public and engenders great esprit de corps. The patch is worn on both sleeves of official uniforms and is also reproduced in many forms as a logo on printed matter, decorative wall plaques, and vehicle identification decals.

The center of the patch contains elements of the official seal of the City of New York. It features a shield emblazoned with the sails of a windmill, representive of the original Dutch Colonists of New York. Supporting the shield on the left is a sailor representing the early shipping trade in the city's great harbor. His right arm is bent, holding a plummet, a navigational device of the period. Standing to the right is a native American representing the original inhabitants of Manhattan, holding an arched bow. Perched atop the shield is an American eagle, its wings spread. Above the eagle are five starts, representing the five boroughs or counties which comprise New York City. Uppermost are the Scales of Justice, reflecting the legal mission of the Police Department.