You couldn’t be more excited – you just received your police badge today. Now you just have to buy a holder for it. That shouldn’t be too hard though, right? All you need to do is buy a standard police badge holder and you’ll be set.
Wrong.
There are many different types of holders for your police badge, and the one that you choose can have a huge impact on your ability to do your job as a police officer. Here is a basic rundown of the different types of police badge holders so that you can choose which type will be best for your job duties.
- Neck or belt holder: If your primary duties as a police officer will be patrolling and traffic enforcement, you want a holder that will allow your badge to be easily seen when you approach people. When you pull someone over for a traffic violation and walk to their car, you want your badge to be one of the first things they see. If you don’t pin your badge to your shirt, you will want a badge holder that either hangs around your neck or clips to your belt.
- Badge wallet: There are many options if you need to keep your badge in your wallet. Police officers that don’t wear uniforms, such as plainclothes officers or detectives, need to have a badge holder that they can easily access, but does not publicly display their badge. The wallet holders come in many styles and have slots not only for your badge, but also for your money, ID, and credit cards.
- Secret badge holder: Undercover police officers put their lives in a lot of danger, and there is no need to put themselves in more by having an easily discoverable police badge. If you will be doing a lot of undercover police work, consider buying a badge holder with a hidden compartment for your badge. This will give you an extra layer of safety if you are searched to ensure you are not a police officer.
As you can see, the visibility of your police badge can play a huge role in your ability to perform your job, but also in your safety while on the job. Before ordering your police badge holder, however, you should check with your department to determine what their requirements are for your badge. Some departments may require that you pin your badge to your shirt, or that you only use a belt holder, not a neck holder.
