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You may start seeing a pop of color from police officers’ uniforms thanks to a new Pride badge made available today.
In honor of Pride Month, the New Orleans Police Department released a special badge bearing the multi-colored Pride symbol: a rainbow. The badge is available for officers to wear during the month of June, recognized as Pride Month, as well as during New Orleans’ annual Decadence Festival in September.
In a press release today, N.O.P.D. Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said that the badges represent the police department’s commitment to diversity and the community.
“Including our LGBTQ members and allies — to make New Orleans the greatest city in the world,” Ferguson said. “New Orleans is a city rich in diversity — be it in our people, our food, our music, or our culture. We love, respect, and celebrate that diversity, which is also reflected within our own ranks.”
The N.O.P.D. is one of the only major police departments in America to allow its officers to wear these special badges during Pride Month. It joins New Orleans EMS in making local First Responder Pride-edition badges available for use by its ranks.
The press release thanked the nonprofit Louisiana Law Enforcement Officers Memorial for providing funding for the badges. It works to honor Louisiana police officers, deputy sheriffs, state troopers, correctional officers, and federal agents killed in the line of duty.
“We support a non-discriminatory, respectful, and accepting society where people of all backgrounds, lifestyles, and beliefs can live, work, and play together,” Ferguson said. “Utilizing these badges to help convey that support is another example of how the NOPD is leading the way in modern day policing in America.”