The Rundown- Durham Police Patches

Durham Police patches can be separated into four basic groups: pre public safety, post public safety, public safety, and specialty patches. Durham actually has a variety of patches, which makes collecting them a hobby in itself. The current patch is available free of charge (used ones, of course). New ones are an eBay staple, and can be bought for under five dollars. Older ones show up as well from time to time.

The first uniforms did not sport a patch. Sometime around or before 1930 Durham went to wearing uniform patches.

The “tobacco” patch is probably Durham’s most simple, striking patch. It was put into use sometime between 1920-1930. It is very similar to the seal of the city, which was used on police cars as well as patches. The round patch used to be a popular shape in law enforcement, but today it is a little bit more uncommon. Several large cities still use the round patches, such as Atlanta, GA, and Toronto, Canada. This example above is a shirt patch. This patch has been reproduced in small numbers- they are fairly easy to spot because the blue in the patch will be a brilliant royal blue color (it really stands out), and when placed next to a real patch the difference is obvious.

The example above is a coat patch. As did many other departments, Durham wore a dress overcoat on top of a shirt and tie, with the Sam Browne belt worn outside the coat. These patches were actually round wool felt patches, which were then sewn onto the wool overcoats.

When the great public safety experiment came along in 1970, Durham went to a new patch to match the switch. And this was just an experiment, as it lasted only 15 years (1970-1985). In a much debated move the city council voted to combine police and fire services. Now all first responders would wear one single patch. Note that it resembles a fire department patch as much as anything, and that in the transition the patch was made larger and took on a different shape. There was a different patch with a rocker at the bottom that said "Reserves", similar to the police reserves patch below, worn by non-active reserve status public safety officers. This patch marked the end of any Durham public servant wearing a tobacco leaf on their shoulders.

When the fire department and police department split in 1985, Durham Police went to this patch. As patches go it’s not a well laid design. The lettering is not quite symmetrical, the wings of the eagle are not symmetrical either (though it’s hard to tell, they are not). In the middle of the patch is the rod of Asclepius, a nod to Durham’s nickname, “The City of Medicine”, which it owes to Duke University Medical Center, the VA Hospital, and Durham Regional Hospital. This patch is still in use today. The patch was designed by then Sgt JT Mangum. 

The patch actually has some symbolism implied. The following is courtesy the Durham PD:

The eagle at the center of the patch symbolizes America and the freedom, liberty, and rights police officers are sworn to protect. Looking to the right, the eagle graps an olive branch in its right talon/claw conveying that police s the ultimate goal. In its left talon claw, the eagle holds three arrows that represent the past, present, and future. The arrows are symbolic of the protection and skillful defense police officers are trained to provide to preserve the peace. the shield in the center of the eagle's body features Durham's City of Medicine emblem.

The patch's four colors are significant. Dark blue is indicative of law enforcement. red is symbolic of courage. Gold represents authority. White conveys purity. 

Despite all of this, it is one of the most commonly traded patches and is available on eBay commonly for just a dollar or two. 

Then there are a few specialty patches worth mentioning.

This police cadet patch dates from the 1960’s. As patches go it’s pretty rare, and would command a premium if it ever came up for sale, as there are so few surviving specimens. It is smaller than the current patch, but has the same star design element that the regular police patch of the time exhibited.

The Durham Park Rangers were employed from about 1973/74 until 1996. In 1996 they were dissolved and the officers were incorporated into the regular police department. Park rangers were responsible for city parks, including those inside the city, as well as Lake Michie and Little River Resevoir. The Durham PD continued to have a park ranger unit for about a decade after the original group was incorporated into the Durham PD. There is no longer a park ranger unit of any kind in the city. (Pic courtesy www.durhampolice.com)

The Durham Police have actually had a “crime lab” of sorts for around 60 years. After 1985, this small “crime lab” patch was produced and worn by ID Techs (Identification Technicians). Eventually sworn officers were no longer used and civilian crime scene technicians took their place, as is the case today. The unit is now known as the "Forensics Service Unit". This new unit, in turn, has their own patch.

The “reserve” patch is no longer in use, and was produced after 1985. The rocker at the bottom of the patch is actually not sewn in as part of the original patch and, if turned over, the seam is visible on the back. Reserve officers are impossible to distinguish from regular officers now, as the patch is the same.

The “honor guard” patch above is still in use today for, well, the honor guard. From a distance the patch looks exactly the same, and it is only used on a handful of dress jackets by honor guard personnel.

This subdued Durham Police patch is called a prototype by the departmental website. It was possibly made for the SET unit (SWAT team), or made as a private purchase patch. At any rate, there are few floating around, and rumor is that there is a different version being produced soon. Note that there is a "D" in the center of shield instead of the rod of Asclepius.

There is a round SET patch (well, actually two). However, I have yet to gain any cooperation in obtaining one for this website.