August 17, 2006
UW Police sport new look
The UW Police got a new look this week, but you’ll have to be pretty observant to see it. Officers are still wearing the familiar blue uniform, but they have new badges and new shoulder patches.
The idea of making a change has been simmering for a long time, according to Police Chief Vicky Stormo. “People have been talking about it pretty much ever since I’ve been here,” she said.
“There’s been some thought that the star-shaped badge we’ve been wearing looked too much like the traditional sheriff’s badge, and the patch didn’t make it clear that we are police officers, not security guards.”
The new badge is oval, with the University seal in the center and “University Police” surrounding it. In contrast to the old, gold badges, it is silver trimmed in gold. The officer’s rank appears at the top.
The new patch says “Police” at the top in large silver letters. Below that is a representation of Mt. Rainier, with the University’s seal and “University of Washington” superimposed on it.
For Detective Chris Jaross, it was simply time for a change. The old badge, he said, had been in use for at least 30 years and the patch for at least 35. He asked Stormo in a meeting if a change might be considered and she suggested he spearhead the effort. So, together with Sgt. Cham Kao, he did just that.
The two collected examples of different kinds of badges and patches and sent representations out to their fellow officers, asking for ideas and suggestions. They then created final designs for each and put the matter to a vote. The new models received strong support.
Stormo is pleased with the change, which took place Aug. 16. “To me, it’s adding a level of professionalism,” she said. “We’re making sure that people see us as police officers. Jaross said that for security reasons, the old badges will have to be turned in and destroyed, although officers may buy theirs back if they wish.
