Is it illegal to wear a police/swat patch on my army jacket for novelty reasons? I admire swat teams, and I have a local patch for the Lorain, OH SWAT team. Would it be illegal for me to wear the patch on my army field coat? Im not trying to be a “wanna be” or be something I’m not, I just just think its a neat novelty type thing.
I think it should be all right as long as you don’t present/identify yourself as an officer or attempt to do police work while so attired. Check with your local PD to be sure though.
I don’t know about Ohio, but in Va.-you would be arrested. Insignia is referred to in the code, so a patch would not be allowed. Check with your local agency, they may have a “pro shop” with clothing that doesn’t have the customarily worn badge and/or insignia.
538d. (a) Any person other than one who by law is given the
authority of a peace officer, who willfully wears, exhibits, or uses
the authorized uniform, insignia, emblem, device, label, certificate,
card, or writing, of a peace officer, with the intent of
fraudulently impersonating a peace officer, or of fraudulently
inducing the belief that he or she is a peace officer, is guilty of a
misdemeanor.
It is a specific intent crime in California; It depends a lot on your intent, conduct, and the reasonably standard being applied to both…
I would say its legal to wear the patch, but not wise.
I would heed the advice given here. While in your city and state it may not be illegal, it is most certainly not a wise decision to wear the patch. You are not an officer and wearing the patch would draw attention both from law enforcement and the criminal element.
On the law enforcement end you would be guaranteed to be contacted to see what you are up to, investigating whether you are impersonating. The attention from the criminal element could place you at undo risk.
There is a reason you do not see off-duty officers wearing police related apparel when not at work, the attention is not worth it and could place you at risk of being a target. Despite you statement that you are not a “wanna be,” from the outside it would appear the opposite if you were to wear the patch.
You will do what you want, but I recommend asking an officer in your jurisdiction about the legality of it. Regardless, the officer(s) will most likely give the same advice as you are recieving here from myself and other officers.
Not to come off like a jerk, but I think you’d look like a poser.
Cool to have.
Not cool to wear.
Just my opinion.
-RD62
I’m not a cop, but Ditto on all of the above. Perception is reality. Some person or Peace officer takes it the wrong way and it will get uncomfortable for you. I have a cork board with various Army patches from units I’ve been assigned to as well as worked with, branch insignia, and some patches from various PD’s & FD’s from around the country, etc…hanging on my “I love me wall” in my office. I got the idea many years ago from the bar at the Key West airport. They have a wall of various military, police, and fire department patches, including a few I have contributed. Maybe you should try something similar so you don’t draw the wrong impression.
As a former LEO and career military officer, my rule-of-thumb as always been to never wear any badge of office, rank, or organizational patch that I didn’t personally earn the right to wear. Legality is certainly a potential issue in this instance, but beyond this, I think it would just be far less confusing – and less potentially embarrassing – to just leave the patch at home.
Remember, no one that sees your jacket will know anything about your intent; to them, you’ll just be another armchair commando trying to look like someone/something that you’re not. I suppose that would seem to be doubly true when the patch is for a local team that folks may have some familiarity with. No matter what your thought process, it will still look to others as if you are trying to identify with an elite group that you have no real connection to.
Look at it this way: if you were a sworn police officer on the Lorain, Ohio PD, but not on the SWAT team, would you feel comfortable wearing it? Of course not – you would be the laughingstock of the entire department (or worse). Why, then, would it be OK for someone with absolutely no connection to the department at all to be wearing it? Again, I don’t think that anyone here is questioning your motives, but I do think you would be leaving a very great potential for misunderstanding by sewing it on to your jacket.
Chief
A local CLEO gave me a ball cap with the agency insignia on it, and hell, I feel like a punk poseur every time I even consider wearing it beyond the end of my driveway…:rolleyes:
I had a buddy in school who was a great guy, but was grotesquely obese. He was a member of the junior chipmunk triple auxillary back-up squad of his sheriff’s department back home and could quote every war movie ever made. One day he came out of his room wearing the SEAL budweiser pinned to his shirt. I told him wearing that was not a good idea - some retired or active duty SEAL would see it and have an issue. My buddy was a good guy, but a total poser. Would you want to be confused with someone like that? I think not. I wouldn’t wear it. 
The strange paradox in all of this, I suppose, is that those who have served (or are serving) in some of the more elite armed formations out there tend not to advertise it much at all.
I spent many years doing the Bragg/82nd thing, for example, and while I wouldn’t attempt to equate that to a SEAL team or the FBI HRT, it was still a fairly unusual thing for me to wear anything that called attention to the affiliation. My friends in the SOCOM community were even less flashy, just as you might expect. The old adage still rings true: “Those who know, know.”
I remember walking around in the 1-SFOD training facility once upon a time (no, not in the squadron bays) and laughing to myself that, even in the halls of their own ultra-secure HQ, the plaques and citations on the wall referred simply to “The Unit.” Talk about understatement …
I’m not sure how any of this thinking may differ in purely civilian/LEO settings, but in general, it is always best to be quietly deemed competent by your word and deed, than to garner up-front attention by showing up looking like a billboard in need of validation. It’s the dudes that say very little and provide few overt clues about their identity that you really need to watch out for. 
Chief
A lont time ago, I spent some years in LE. My son-in-law is presently a SWAT team member, sergeant in his city’s police force, former DARE cop. Those guys are NOT fond of someone wearing their insignia, no matter how innocently the poser may claim to be.
My shield has been turned in. I don’t need it anymore. Of course, some folks go to gunshows and buy those badges that proclaim that you’re a concealed weapons license recipient. WHOOPEE! I’ve had CCW in five states but the badge kind of takes away the “concealed” part, doesn’t it. Most cops accept CCW holders just fine; it is AGAINST most state regs to flash your gun to try to impress or frighten someone, and you can easily lose your CCW license if you do.
Someone with an earlier post spoke of having an “I love me” wall. Maybe that would work for you, unless your desire is to impress others. I don’t know.
Good luck.
Sonnytoo
Very well said, sir.
Generally speaking, shoulder patches can be traded and collected.
Sewing it to a garment is big time Gay Poser, and TOSesque to boot, fr00t!
Wearing anything that’s an Identifier out in public is a bad idea. Even worse idea when you’re not the real deal.
The wrong person sees him wearing a Trident and he’s going to get embarressed real quick. The least he may get is getting the Bird ripped off his shirt…
Team guys have said it many times. Don’t support the Teams by wearing a Trident or shirts that may be confused for impersonating a SEAL. If you don’t rate it, don’t wear it.
In the world of military and LE, only wear what you have achieved. Trust me on this, you wont see and Active Duty Force Recon Marine wearing a Force Recon T-Shirt out in town- GAY.
People work extra hard to earn those “Special Titles”- to wear them with out earning them is a slap to those who have bled for those titles.
p.s. unless the shirt says “I support ________” or “my son is a ___________”…then I would say it’s ok.
Would look like a poser…
My limit of military or police specific gear extends to military camo, which I find to be adequate for hunting. I attach no insignia though, and I don’t buy MARPAT. 
Give it a place of honor in your collection in the house. Admire fondly within.
If you are not or have not been a Marine then I don’t know why you would. It is not a bad pattern but there are better. Hell I was forced to buy some before I got out and I rarely wear it.