April 2022
New Badges for City Police (Sept 26, 1898)
John Young, Patrolman
Remember the term the “Pottsy” ! Some will say it was Jay Irving’s syndicated comic strip which appeared in New York newspaper from 195S to 1970.
Other old-timers will say “it’s the silver shield that has been carried by New York City Patrolman and Police Officers since 1902. The original “pottsy” was the patrolman’s Shield (1889-98) that resembled a folder tin-can that city children would use as a tossing Implement in the sidewalk game “potsy” played on city streets during the 1890s.
Years ago, someone sent me the following New York Times article:
“Bundles of new badges for the police force of the greater city were sent from headquarters to all stations houses yesterday and each new squad was sent out last night the new badges were worn. The policeman’s badge is of white metal, smaller and thicker than that was in use in Manhattan. It is a shield bearing on a field roughened with dots the city’s coat of arms with the legend “City of New York-Police” above it and the number of the policeman below on a scroll. They are enameled and cheap looking and they cost 94 cents apiece.
There are twelve kinds of badges and there are 7576 of these in all. Four kinds of shields are of gold and three of gold gilt, resembling gold. The rest are German silver or white metal, silvered.
The gold badges are those of the chief, the deputy chief, the inspectors and the Police Surgeons. The captains, sergeants and detective sergeants are of yellow metal, fire gilt. The patrolmen’s, roundsmen’s, Central Office detectives, precinct detectives and doormen’s badges are of white metal.
The roundsman’s shield is the same as the patrolmen’s except it is surmounted by an eagle. The Central Office detective’s badge is the roundsman’ s with different lettering. The sergeants’ and detective sergeants’ badges are the same as the roundsmen’s and the detectives, excepting that they are made of yellow metal and have different lettering.
The precinct detectives’ badges are the same as the badges they have been using and the doorman’s shield is very much like the policeman’s. The four gold badges resemble the former badges and the captain’s is almost identical. The slight difference, however, makes it necessary for a number of captains to give up their handsome jewel studded badges of the old pattern, the gifts of friends”.
In 1908, the rank “roundsman” was changed to sergeant, and those sergeants became lieutenants, while precinct doorman became patrolman. This was the same year that the grey helmet (lunch bucket) WCTe replaced a blue cap with black visor. Salaries were the same, $1400 per annum. Patrolmen got a hundred dollar raise from the city’s Board ofEstimate in 1918. Top pay for Patrolman, First Grade was $8,090 in 1964.
Previous Trivia
Click on previous individual articles below :
- March 2022 – Police Arlington Cemetery
- December 2021 – Metropolitan Police Force 1857-70
- October 2021 – The Star Police, 1845
- September 2021 – Police Merger, Spring 1995
- May 2021 – Summer ’94
- March 2021 – History of NYC /Draft Riots 1863
- December 2020 – Election Day, November 1993
- September 2020 – Caruso/Dinkins Years(1990 – 1994)
- April-May 2020 – M-19 & The Cops
- March 2020 – Caruso & Congress (con’t)
- December 2019 – Caruso and Congressional Hearing
- November 2019, Post Trivia – The Star Police (1845)
- September 2019, Post Trivia – Caruso- Koch Years, 1980-89
- June 2019, Post Trivia – Happy Days 1969-1980
- May 2019, Post Trivia – The Conflict Days: 1900-1958
- April 2019, Post Trivia – 125 Years Ago (Cont.)
- March 2019, Post Trivia – 125 Years Ago
- December 2018, Post Trivia – Do You Remember When?
- November 2018, Post Trivia – One Cop Remembers the Taylor Law Con’t
- May 2018, Post Trivia – Andrew’s Betrayal!
- March 2018, Post Trivia – The Victim Was Blue!
- December 2017, Post Trivia – A Cop Remembers, Part 4
- November 2017, Post Trivia – A Cop Remembers, Part 3
- October 2017, Post Trivia – A Cop Remembers, Part 2
- September 2017, Post Trivia – A Cop Remembers
- May 2017, Post 13 Trivia – NEOTWY
- April 2017, Post 13 Trivia – Kelly’s Legacy & The Bill of Rights
- March 2017, Post 13 Trivia – Policeman’s Bill of Rights
- December 2016, Post 13 Trivia – Civilian Complaints and Policeman’s Bill of Rights
- November 2016, Post 13 Trivia – Pre-war Cops & Politicians
- October 2016, Post 13 Trivia – Back When!
- September 2016, Post 13 Trivia – Remember When?
- June 2016, Post 13 Trivia – Beame a shrimp! Codd a fish!
- May 2016, Post 13 Trivia – McFeeley’s Follies
- April 2016, Post 13 Trivia – Crash Course, Police 101
- December 2015, Post 13 Trivia – The Banana Republic & Parity
- November 2015, Post 13 Trivia – Capital Punishment
- September 2015, Post 13 Trivia
- June 2015, Post 13 Trivia – Target Blue 1971