Law Enforcement Dedication

I will add images from time to time, as the collection grows.

There are individuals among us that perform duties that go well beyond the norm. They Protect and Serve us all. Many times they go about their business with little or no fanfare. And on the worst day these proud defenders are taken from us before their time. Whether serving at the local, state, or federal level they are heroes. I am talking about those unique, and often under-appreciated, folks that choose Law Enforcement as their profession and calling.

Police are agents or agencies, usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to ensure public and social order through the legitimized use of force.
The term is most commonly associated with police departments of a state that are authorized to exercise the police power of that state within a defined legal or territorial area of responsibility. The word comes via French from the Latin politia (“civil administration”), which itself derives from the Ancient Greek, πόλις, for polis ("city").

The first police force comparable to present-day police was established in 1667 under King Louis in France, although modern police usually trace their origins to the 1800 establishment of the Marine Police in London, the Glasgow Police, and the Napoleonic police of Paris. The first modern police force is also commonly said to be the London Metropolitan Police, established in 1829, which promoted the preventive role of police as a deterrent to urban crime and disorder.
Law enforcement however constitutes only part of policing activity. Policing has included an array of activities in different situations, but the predominant ones are concerned with the preservation of order. In some societies, in the late 18th century and early 19th century, these developed within the context of maintaining a layered societal structure and the protection of property.

Alternative names for police force include constabulary, gendarmerie, police department, police service, crime prevention, protective services, law enforcement agency or Garda Síochána, and members can be police officers, troopers, sheriffs, constables, rangers, peace officers or Garda. Russian police and police of the Soviet-era Eastern Europe are (or were) called militsiya.

Specialized Units
Specialized preventive and detective groups exist within many law enforcement organizations either for dealing with particular types of crime, such as traffic law enforcement and crash investigation, homicide, or fraud; or for situations requiring specialized skills, such as underwater search, aviation, explosive device disposal ("bomb squad"), and computer crime.
Most larger jurisdictions also employ specially-selected and trained quasi-military units armed with military-grade weapons for the purposes of dealing with particularly violent situations beyond the capability of a patrol officer response, including high-risk warrant service and barricaded suspects. In the United States these units go by a variety of names, but are commonly known as SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) teams.

All of those who make the choice to enter this honorable profession must realize that they will enter dangerous areas or situation. They also know that others may seek them out in anger or assistance. None of us know when our last day might be, but not all professions face the danger of death as often or with such attitudes of servitude.

There are several groups that honor and assist those killed in the line of duty and those left behind after such a tragedy. I have provided links to some I am familiar with below. I have more than a little respect and admiration for those in this profession. Their duties are of such that many would choose to avoid.

I have many friends that choose to enter in harm’s way and I respect them greatly. Somewhere along the way I started collecting patches from those I know and from areas where I have lived. The photos here are from that collection. I hope to add to these as time and circumstance allows. Donations are happily accepted.

I have one other interest in this blog entry. I wish to remember all those that gave their lives in the defense of what they believed in. This, of course, includes my own Father:

Leroy Dale Brown
Cochise County Sheriff Deputy, AZ
End of Watch: December 6, 1969

Thank you to all of those in the Law Enforcement community for your service and sacrifice. It takes a special person to do what you do on a daily basis and I am glad you are out there. You are in my thoughts and prayers as are your families.

These patches are from my own collection. Some are from trades, eBay, or from those who have shared with me from the Law Enforcement Community. I am always looking for more to add to the collection. I will continue to update this page as more patches are added.

Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) - http://www.nationalcops.org/home.htm

The Officer Down Memorial - http://www.odmp.org/

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial - http://www.nleomf.com/index.htm