LEO wearing Military ribbons on stand during Zimmerman trial

[JNieman]

http://www.businessinsider.com/cop-...t-george-zimmerman-trial-2013-7#ixzz2XtugMVlJ

Harkins writes "Workman got a hold of [The Sanford Police Department] and said they told him they didn’t have their own awards system, so they went to the Army-Navy store around the corner and picked out Defense Department military ribbons to fit their own format. The WWII was selected, the police department official told Workman, because they knew there weren’t many veterans from that period alive so they didn’t think people would notice."

Posted separate from the trial thread as it's more of a separate issue specific to the department there, rather than being relevant to the trial.

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

Who cares? If a PD wants to award a Purple Heart Ribbon to a Cop shot on duty or on that looks like an Army Commendation Medal to a Cop who earned a Commendation why does it matter?

 

[Hitman]

LE Departments have been doing it for decades. Nothing unlawful about but could be perceived as disrespectful to Campaign Medals.

Also on his Facebook page he had a follow up post;

Jeremiah Workman >
Ok folks, I just spoke to the Sanford Florida police dept. This is what they told me. When we started our dept. awards system we went to the army navy store around the corner and picked DOD military ribbons to fit our award system format. I said ok how did you pick the WW II occupation medal? His answer is *we knew that there weren’t many WW II vets alive. We didn’t think people would notice*. He assured me that they were changing there ribbon policy. That makes it all better.

 

[JNieman]

Who cares? If a PD wants to award a Purple Heart Ribbon to a Cop shot on duty or on that looks like an Army Commendation Medal to a Cop who earned a Commendation why does it matter?

http://veteranmedals.army.mil/award...48884fdf2638ab8185256b660066c86a!OpenDocument http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_Distinguished_Service_Medal
<--- couple of those allegedly displayed

I'm going to guess the answer to your question is "the same people who care about stolen valor" and people doing dumb things with badges/medals/ribbons.

 

[Emperor]

Who cares? If a PD wants to award a Purple Heart Ribbon to a Cop shot on duty or on that looks like an Army Commendation Medal to a Cop who earned a Commendation why does it matter?

What about "Tradition?"

 

[Emperor]

Repost, sorry.

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

Tradition counts I just don't see any disrespect intended or implied. The really disgusting part is that the Mil has cheapened awards to the point that they don't mean what they used to. For instance; Battalion Staff Officers who never leave the wire winning the same Bronze Star as a PFC who earned it.

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

The key here is intent to dishonor, disrespect, and decieve. I don't see any.

 

[JNieman]

Yea I personally think it's less offensive than actual stolen valor douche nozzles, but it seems less than wise to use valorous awards from WW2, which America refers to as the best of the best of the greatest generation, and handing them out for good performance as a patrol officer or w/e.

It's people putting themselves in lethal danger, though I have no idea what they did to earn the "repurposed" awards, so it's not /as bad/ as some pimple faced basement dweller blousing BDUs into Doc Martens and walking around the mall for a while with ribbons from wars he wasn't alive for.

There is no malicious /intent/ but it's still less than respectful. It was brought to my attention by people who were pretty aggravated at the idea of city cops like that wearing such things. Though some of those guys are also ones who bitch about the same thing you mentioned irt devaluing the awards from over-usage.

 

[Hitman]

Tradition counts I just don't see any disrespect intended or implied. The really disgusting part is that the Mil has cheapened awards to the point that they don't mean what they used to. For instance; Battalion Staff Officers who never leave the wire winning the same Bronze Star as a PFC who earned it.

Witnessed that first hand. Our Battalion CO however placed the Captain right next to the PFC. Read off the PFC's B. Star with Combat Device, then the Capt. was read his. Needless to say, folks got the point. That without even touching his M16 that stayed in the Quadcon the entire deployment. He got a Bronze Star for organizing chow.

It’s disgusting to think how some of these so-called men can walk around with **** on their chest they damn well know they’d have never gotten had it not been b/c their buddy is a Major or higher. Guess even though they wear it, they have to live with knowing it’s a LIE.

At least that's what I tell myself.

 

[carlosd321]

Just bad taste IMO

 

[Leadfoot]

I'm with the Gorilla on this one. I don't see any intent to dishonor or deceive anyone.

 

[Emperor]

Witnessed that first hand. Our Battalion CO however placed the Captain right next to the PFC. Read off the PFC's B. Star with Combat Device, then the Capt. was read his. Needless to say, folks got the point. That without even touching his M16 that stayed in the Quadcon the entire deployment. He got a Bronze Star for organizing chow.

It’s disgusting to think how some of these so-called men can walk around with **** on their chest they damn well know they’d have never gotten had it not been b/c their buddy is a Major or higher. Guess even though they wear it, they have to live with knowing it’s a LIE.

At least that's what I tell myself.

Kinda of sorta like a forged college diploma gets someone a six figure income as opposed to their true calling at Applebee's.

It's probably a lie they can live with after time.

 

[mcinfantry]

It's not like they lied about what they did, or lie through omission and are registered members.

If they were users on this boar people wouldn't care as much.

 

[Emperor]

It's not like they lied about what they did, or lie through omission and are registered members.

If they were users on this boar people wouldn't care as much.

Ya know; you are right! After all, the pretender did get the Noble Peace Prize, and that didn't cheapen that one bit.

 

[03protege]

They are just using the little colorful rectangles to represent their own achievements/accolades, it's not like they are trying to claim the accomplishments of those who they were intended for.

I do think it is really cheezy but on the bright side think of how many less tickets they have to issue by recycling the Army's ribbons vs making their own.

 

[Rebeldave]

I dont think any civilian police depts and thats what they are should use any military ribbons i dont care how Rambo they want to be in thier Swat gear

 

[SpeedRacer]

They are just using the little colorful rectangles to represent their own achievements/accolades, it's not like they are trying to claim the accomplishments of those who they were intended for.

I do think it is really cheezy but on the bright side think of how many less tickets they have to issue by recycling the Army's ribbons vs making their own.

That's where I'm at with it. I doubt they have the budget to get custom medals and ribbons designed and made. They even thought enough to choose older ribbons that wouldn't be mistaken for current military awards.

It's tacky for sure, but not stolen valor and nothing to get really upset over IMO.

 

[JBP55]

They do not have to have anything custom made, they can order almost anything they need from a Vendor.

Public Safety Specialties.

 

[Emperor]

They do not have to have anything custom made, they can order almost anything they need from a Vendor.

Public Safety Specialties.

Or, they could save some more money and custom make their own and have fun too!