Madison police officers to wear identifying military pins
MADISON – The City of Madison Police Department will start utilizing veteran pins on uniforms for officers who served or are actively serving in the military. With a high concentration of veterans in the Madison area, Chief Johnny Gandy hopes identifying these officers will help in emergency events.
“Oftentimes, officers that are military veterans are the very best at handling crises with other veterans. Instant rapport is established with a fellow veteran – especially one from the same branch in which the person in crisis had served,” Gandy said. “This can help calm a mental health crisis situation.”
The pins consist of an American flag crossed with the flag of the service branch officers have served or are currently serving, representing branches including the US Air Force, US Army, US Marine Corps, US Navy and National Guard. The pins will be worn with Class “A” uniforms over top of the officer’s name tag for identification.
“Our community gladly celebrates all veterans’ sacrifice and service,” Mayor Paul Finley added. “The pins also function as a source of pride for officers who have honorably served in the military to wear on their uniforms, and we hope local veterans can find camaraderie from our police officers as well.”
MPD continues to prioritize Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) for equipping officers during emergency and mental health crisis situations. This training includes awareness of signs and symptoms of those suffering Post Traumatic Stress, often referred to as PTSD
