Florida Police Ribbons?

[bigjarofwasps]

Couple of questions here, if anyone can answer them?

Why is this officer wearing her ribbons on the wrong side?

Have a read of this...........

http://battlerattle.marinecorpstimes.com/2013/07/03/police-department-cancels-use-of-dod-ribbons-following-navy-cross-recipients-call/

What are the ribbons she's wearing and what should they in fact be? 

 

 

 

1.

2.

3.

4.

5. Army Long Service Medal

6. World War II Army of Occupational Medal

Edited July 12, 2018 by bigjarofwasps

[Dave Danner]

1. USAF Combat Readiness Medal

2. USMC Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal

3. Defense Distinguished Service Medal

4. Philippine Independence Medal (1946)

The wearing on the upper right is probably due to the size of the badge. Also, many police departments are probably unaware of the military tradition of wearing the ribbons close to the heart.

There are professional providers of police equipment who make individual ribbons for departments and who try to avoid duplication of military ribbons. See this site for example: https://publicsafetyspecialties.com/civilian_cloth_ribbons.htm

The Sanford PD, however, appears to have just bought a bunch of ribbons for their officers without regard for their original meanings.

Or maybe it is just Officer Singleton, since the only other picture I could find of a Sanford officer wearing ribbons was in the obituary for Officer Kate Walsh, and none of here ribbons were the same as any standard US military ribbons: https://www.facebook.com/SanfordPolice/photos/with-a-heavy-heart-we/831411966919621/

 

[IrishGunner]

The photo on the Sanford PD website of their chief has ribbons similar to the ones on Officer Walsh's obituary photo.

http://www.sanfordfl.gov/departments/police-department/message-from-the-chief

As for Singleton, the ribbon set she is wearing couldn't even be one she earned in the military; that combination is improbable, let alone out of precedent order.  Reading the article, I am amazed that someone in authority with the SFD thought it was a good idea to re-purpose official DoD decorations.  I am even more amazed that someone who had served in the military - Singleton - would actually wear the re-purposed ribbons knowing that they are not authorized to wear said ribbons.  Borders on stolen valor.  The excuse given by the SFD is even more incredulous; we didn't think anyone would notice since most of those authorized to wear the ribbons are dead.  I guess I must be dead, because I've been awarded the WW2 Army of Occupation Medal for service in West Berlin 1983-1986.  The AOM was awarded to all who served in Berlin up until unification in 1991.

 

Edited July 13, 2018 by IrishGunner
Went back and read the article

[bigjarofwasps]

Thanks for your replies to this thread guys. 

I can't understand why there isn't a set system for police medals & ribbons country wide. That would certainly make life easier? 

 

Also has the SPD situation only just come to light?  What were they using as medal ribbons before someone drempt up this crazy idea? 

[IrishGunner]

Tony, there couldn't be a country wide system since police forces are controlled by local, county, and state governments.  There are almost 18000 police departments in US; from 1 officer to the largest the New York PD with almost 40000 officers.  There is no national level police (well there is the FBI, but they have a very different mission than day-to-day law enforcement).  This is due to our federal system of government and "state's rights" under the Constitution.

It looks like the Sanford debacle came to light in 2013 during the well-known case of a neighborhood watch member being tried for second-degree murder for the fatal shooting of 17-year-old black youth; Treyvon Martin.  From reading the article (and the SPD website and Chief photo) they have since rectified the situation.