Hoping to put a close to the “mourning badge” controversy, this afternoon Seattle police Chief Carmen Best issued an order to all SPD sworn officers directing that mourning badge bands may not obscure badge numbers.
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Mourning badges: take them off today.
One of the points of contention this week during the protests has been regarding Seattle police officers wearing “mourning badge” bands over their badges, which obscures the badge number and thus makes it harder to identify an officer who is using excessive force or other illegal police practices. Mourning badges are a tradition among law enforcement agencies, to remember and honor fallen comrades, including those in neighboring agencies. According to SPD Chief Carmen Best, they are worn in the days between the death of an officer and the memorial service for that officer. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many memorial …
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