Timmins Police Officers are wearing something new these days.

New badges and hat badges have been issued to TPS Officers in recent weeks, and soon the entire staff will sport the new piece of kit.

Timmins Police Communications Coordinator Marc Depatie explained to media on Thursday that the badges signify an important part of the police uniform.

“A badge is a significant part of a police officer’s identity,” Depatie said, “It allows him to readily identify himself as a police officer. This piece of police insignia represents moving forward. Stepping away from the past but moving forward as a modern policing agency.”

Depatie said the new badges show a level of investment that senior administration is placing in its police force.

“While being respectful of the past, we also are moving forward with a new pace of identification that represents the level of professionalism that is expected from its officers.”

Some of the badges that officer’s are sporting have been in circulation for more than 40 years.

“It’s long overdue,” Depatie said. “It’s always been something that police force, when they issue your badge, that officer becomes fond of that piece of kit. So some officers are reluctant to turn away from their original badge that they’re […] presented with when they first become police officers.”

Some officers can become attached to their original badge as it carries more and more meaning as the years go on.

“When you get into policing,” Depatie explained, “one of the most important things that you get, apart from training and working as a team, you also get a constant reminder of who you are and what you do by means of the badge that you carry.”

The pride attached to an officer’s badge is significant as it stays with the officer while on duty at all times.

“Every officer, to a certain degree, is very proud of the fact that they carry with them a piece of the policing brotherhood in their hip pocket,” said Depatie.

Some of the differences between the old badge and the new one include a clear identification of the rank and officer carrying the badge. The old badges had the badge numbers stamped on the back. The new badge also features designs from the original Timmins Police Service insignia within it. The new badges are more modern, more reflective, and a more distinctive piece of police identity for the police service.

“This is an investment by senior administration into the individual officers,” said Depatie. “This shows that they are aware of the fact that the officers should be proud of the Timmins Police Service. And they are given a badge that reflects that level of pride.”

 

 

 

 

 

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