4 ms·

We really need to redesign officer uniforms so that the badge number is inconspicuous the same way numbers of football and soccer jerseys are inconspicuous. It

We really need to redesign officer uniforms so that the badge number is inconspicuous the same way numbers of football and soccer jerseys are inconspicuous. It should be possible to identify a police office by their badge number from any angle once you're within 10-20 feet (i.e. it should be on the front, back and both sleeves of their uniform). Cameras should be able to track officers the same way that officers can track the license plate numbers of cars.

stoolpigeon 13y ago
you mean conspicuous - inconspicuous means "not clearly visible or attracting attention".
- rdl 13y ago
  I thought he was being ironic. "I want x to be subtle in the way that a shotgun to the face is subtle" i.e. not subtle at all.
- dredmorbius 13y ago
  I suspect this was ironic understatement. E.g., "As subtle as a roundhouse kick to the head."
- thaumasiotes 13y ago
  I had exactly the same thought as rdl. "Inconspicuous" means "easily overlooked", but obviously "inconspicuous in the same way that football jersey numbers are inconspicuous" means "as easily overlooked as the number on a football jersey". There's no usage error there, just laudably vivid imagery.
pak 13y ago
Assuming you meant "conspicuous", the problem with this idea is that when such officers want to participate in less than stellar behavior, they will obscure the numbers (by putting on a jacket, etc.). This could be justified to their superiors for any number of "tactical" reasons. After all, many cops regularly go on duty in unmarked cars or in plainclothes. Cops are supposed to cite drivers for license plate covers and I see them out in NY the time--how can we expect them to enforce the display of their own numbers? The only part of the uniform that police can't easily modify is the badge, which is also the part that unambiguously proves that they are police when necessary. (Not that most citizens would know how to authenticate the badge of their local police, much less those of all the federal LEAs [1]). [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Federal_law_enforcement_agencies_of_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Federal_law_enforcemen...
- rdl 13y ago
  IMO, raid jackets should have the police ID number written in the same font as POLICE (or other agency) on the back, and on the front in 2-3" high numbers. The headband of a uniform cap would also work well in addition to a name tape. There should also be a requirement that police identify themselves by name/number verbally in interactions when it is practicable to do so; e.g. "You are under arrest, I'm Officer Johnson badge #3898390 of the NYPD, ..." Coupled with audio and video recording devices, it helps create a record.
  - lostlogin 13y ago
    I'll add to that. Public access to the recorded video and audio via an established process managed by a third party (to prevent access to inappropriate content which would otherwise occur with unlimited public access).

stoolpigeon 13y ago

you mean conspicuous - inconspicuous means "not clearly visible or attracting attention".

rdl 13y ago
I thought he was being ironic. "I want x to be subtle in the way that a shotgun to the face is subtle" i.e. not subtle at all.
dredmorbius 13y ago
I suspect this was ironic understatement. E.g., "As subtle as a roundhouse kick to the head."
thaumasiotes 13y ago
I had exactly the same thought as rdl. "Inconspicuous" means "easily overlooked", but obviously "inconspicuous in the same way that football jersey numbers are inconspicuous" means "as easily overlooked as the number on a football jersey". There's no usage error there, just laudably vivid imagery.

pak 13y ago

Assuming you meant "conspicuous", the problem with this idea is that when such officers want to participate in less than stellar behavior, they will obscure the numbers (by putting on a jacket, etc.). This could be justified to their superiors for any number of "tactical" reasons. After all, many cops regularly go on duty in unmarked cars or in plainclothes. Cops are supposed to cite drivers for license plate covers and I see them out in NY the time--how can we expect them to enforce the display of their own numbers? The only part of the uniform that police can't easily modify is the badge, which is also the part that unambiguously proves that they are police when necessary. (Not that most citizens would know how to authenticate the badge of their local police, much less those of all the federal LEAs [1]). [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Federal_law_enforcement_agencies_of_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Federal_law_enforcemen...

rdl 13y ago
IMO, raid jackets should have the police ID number written in the same font as POLICE (or other agency) on the back, and on the front in 2-3" high numbers. The headband of a uniform cap would also work well in addition to a name tape. There should also be a requirement that police identify themselves by name/number verbally in interactions when it is practicable to do so; e.g. "You are under arrest, I'm Officer Johnson badge #3898390 of the NYPD, ..." Coupled with audio and video recording devices, it helps create a record.
- lostlogin 13y ago
  I'll add to that. Public access to the recorded video and audio via an established process managed by a third party (to prevent access to inappropriate content which would otherwise occur with unlimited public access).