Wednesday, January 11, 2012

How many badges are there at MCSD???

A sharp-eyed reader of McHenry County Blog has pointed out to me that now there appears to be a third offiicial badge at the McHenry County Sheriff's Department.

In this photo from Cal Skinner's blog, taken during a meeting with Congressman Randy Hultgren, notice Undersheriff Andrew Zinke's badge. It's round. Not like the famed 7-point star grown by Sheriff Nygren or the official 5-point star (official badge of the McHenry County Sheriff's Department.

Don't you just have to wonder who commissioned that round badge, who authorized it, who paid for it, and who is authorized to wear it? Is this the Undersheriff's own design or a badge specially generated for the Undersheriff's position?

Can any deputy just go out and get his own badge designed and begin wearing it? Or do you have to be one of the white-shirt guys?

What if a deputy decided to wear this badge?

5 comments:

supportthepolice said...

It's an anniversary badge genius!

Gus said...

The round badge is a special badge commemorating McHenry County's existence since 1836.

Ordering badges was optional. A deputy could pay for it out of his clothing allowance, so the citizens didn't get nicked for the expense as an extra item.

I wonder what badge company hustled the Sheriff's Dept. and why they didn't wait another 25 years. There is certainly nothing special about a 175th anniversary, in my book.

Ed. said...

Hmmm. Curious device, this "Border Vigilante" badge. It resembles an Islamic crescent and star, rotated 90 degrees clockwise. That's probably not what its designer intended, though.

Justin said...

They also had a special Y2K badge and again the deputies had to pay out of their pocket.

Gus said...

Now I'm starting to wonder what will happen to all these stray badges floating around. Is there any inventory control over official badges of the Department, even is purchased by a deputy or CO out of his clothing allowance?

The badges should remain the property of MCSD, and a deputy or CO should be required to turn them in on his last day.

And they should be paid for by the Department and remain the property of the Department. They have no use other than to identify the bearer as a deputy or a CO.