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Surprise Arizona Police Department
Customizing a hat badge to be consistent with the department’s oval badge.
The Surprise Arizona Police Department was in the BadgeStudio design process to create a unique oval chest badge enriched with meaningful elements. The design elements included the White Tank Mountain range which serves as the backdrop of their badge and city. Five cacti, representing their core values, surround their police building. Highlighting their modern building and using natural elements as meaningful symbols made their badge singular and something special to share with their community. With this thoughtful approach to their new oval badge, using this image as a cohesive uniform brand was the next logical step.
Design Discussion Includes the Hat Badge
During our design conversations with the Surprise Police Department, we asked about their department’s uniform components, including their current hat badge. When we discussed the Surprise Police Department’s hat badge, they liked the idea of keeping their uniform consistent and moving from their current hat badge to the new design. They initially thought of using a miniature oval version of their new badge as a hat badge. Our team’s suggestion was to design a custom eagle-topped hat badge that incorporated the mountains, cacti, and police building. This would solve two issues. The hat badge would include the heraldic symbol of an eagle for the federal government while using the design elements of their new oval badge for uniform consistency.
The Symbolism of Governmental Authority
Typically, law enforcement departments include design elements on a badge to represent federal, state, and municipal government authority. An eagle represents the federal government as the highest governmental authority and eagle-topped hat badges place the symbol of the highest level of government at the highest point of the law enforcement uniform.
Why is an eagle-topped hat badge recommended?
Many departments we work with wear an eagle-topped hat badge, but they may have never learned the historical reasons and heraldic tradition of an eagle-topped hat badge. We enjoy educating everyone about the symbolism of badge elements. We can show you how to incorporate federal, state, and municipal symbolic elements into your custom badge while keeping the uniform consistent. With an oval badge, that often means suggesting a custom eagle-topped hat badge.
At Smith & Warren, we understand the importance of tradition, heraldry, and the design integration of your badges. We will always ask about your department’s hat badge for uniform consistency. Choosing to do a second custom badge project is an option, but understanding the symbolism of an eagle-topped hat badge, and your hat badge options is something we will help you with on any BadgeStudio project.
If you are considering a custom badge project, we would love to discuss our BadgeStudio concept design service with you.