Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Canadians don't need no stinking badges??

I've taken note of a couple of popular cop shows that appear to be filmed in Canada. Rookie Blue and Flashpoint, I could be wrong but the emblems and uniform styles look Canadian to me. Of course I'm not an expert at anything Canadian, but one thing that jumped out at me was that cops in these shows don't wear badges. I wondered about this and I googled several Canadian police organizations and just browsed the pictures and didn't see anyone wearing a badge. The pictures of RCMP mounties are also without badges. So apparently cops don't need no stinking badges in Canada as they have traditionally been used and in many instances required in the US. So can anyone enlighten me on this socialogical phenom or are my observations wrong. CH

You are right, we dont wear our badges on our uniforms. I cant think of any police agency here that does.

But they do wear handguns.

A lot of forces carry badges in a walet that also carries the warrent card. I would think the uniform, the cruiser and the verbal identification would give the officer's occupation away. If asked for identification the officer will oblige.

In general terms we as a citizenry respect and support our police services.

Randy

What cabbage leaf were you hatched under, Brother? Bet you I could recount more than a few instance where the converse was just as true.

But generally, Randy is right. Off duty and plain clothes, a badge is a real necessity for identification and more than the badge is the warrant card, authorizing the officer to do certain things. I always carried it even while in uniform, and was asked for it once by a distraught mental patient who wouldn't go with the officers in uniform without a badge. I "tinned" him, and a stressful situation was laid to rest.

I think the badge was instituted to identify LEO's before they wore uniforms, and it just kind of stuck south of the 49th, but not up here.

chickasaw hunter;
When I first read your post I was thinking, sure they wear badges up here if they're not RCMP......

Then I started to think about it and while my friends in LE do carry badges in their wallet, they aren't on the uniform.

Funny how you don't notice things unless they're pointed out to you sometimes?

Our BC Conservation Officers don't have badges on their uniforms either - well I don't think so anyway, though I do admit I'm questioning my memory now!

I believe you're correct about the TV shows being Canuck by the way.

Thanks for the "memory jog" and I hope you and yours have a good weekend.

Regards,
Dwayne

our soldiers wear badges

I asked a cop a while ago,why police don't seem to wear their hats anymore.the answer I got was that hats make them too easy to spot on the street.They used to all wear hats and badges.r

I started my LE career in Texas over 40 years ago and at time the state law required an officer to have a badge on his cap and on his uniform. I am correct on using the pronoun him since at the time it was all hims. Our supervisors were always on us to have our hats on when out of the vehicle and it was for identification. If you were in a dark ally at night they wanted us to be readily identifiable. There was a history of more than one officer killed and the defendant claiming they didn't know it was the police, just a guy in the dark with a gun. But like I said I'm no expert on things Canadian, I've only been there once and they treated me like a foreigner, but they did take my US dollar without any problems They let me in free but charged me to leave and I could pay in either currency. But back on point, the cops I've seen in those shows are walking around in BDU's, with guns strapped on, ball caps, military style boots, but no badges, without the badges it looks like just an ordinary weekend at Bass Pro down here. I know it's all in what your used to and it sure seems foregin to me cops without badges. Well thanks to all for setting me straight. But now it begs the question do the Police in Great Britton wear badges, is this something that springs from that tradition or is it something you Canucks evolved to on you own. CH

Ah, the old hat badge. Yep, we sure did have one of those, kinda handsome too. I'll see if I can get a picture.

Here it is, poor quality pic, but gives you the idea.

Here in Calgary we dont have to wear our hats but if we are doing certain things we are required to by policy. I think the RCMP are still required to wear their hats if outside of the car, but I could be mistaken on that.

Never seen one worn in a car yet????

When I was visiting Waterton Lakes Park in Alberta, I stopped in the town of Pincher Creek. The cops were in uniform, but wore no handguns. I saw only a baton and pepper spray. Also, if anyone is ever in Picher Creek, they have the absolute worst chinese food on Mother Earth.

Ever eat Chinese food in Thumbler Ridge?

Those would have been the Park Wardens, not police. Waterton is covered by the RCMP and they would have had their side arm on, even when in their red Serge.

Sorry I wasn't clear. The police that I saw were eating at the chinese place in Pincher Creek. Now that I think about it, I don't remember seeing a single Ranger in either Waterton or Glacier Parks. But I did eat at an awesome little place called Two Sister's Restaurant outside of Glacier National Park.

Our policy is that we never, repeat NEVER went anywhere outside the office without our full use of force package on, from ballistic vest, pepper spray, handcuffs, pistol, 2 spare mags, ASP -- the works - even the dreaded Taser, if the officer was qualified on it.

Often had a gun and didn't need it. Cannot fathom needing one and not having it. Period.

Well that's understandable. Everyone knows about the dreaded Northwestern Ontario warlords and drug cartels.

They have to go through to get through. And some of the locals would make your Hatfields and McCoys look like Sunday schoolers. And when your backup is 100 miles away, nice to have the 40 ounces of cold steel on the right hip. And I don't live in the city of brotherly love.

Northwesten Ontario, home of feared criminals everywhere...








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