NYPD Officers Banned from Wearing NYPD Logo

[firedude 985]

Can someone explain this to me? Is this to much liability or is it not professional?

Cops Banned from Wearing Apparel With NYPD Logo, Shield

By Shimon Prokupece, Tuesday, Jan 31, 2012

New York City police officers are no longer permitted to wear the NYPD logo or shield on T-shirts, pins, hats or in any other form unless it is part of their uniform or they have prior permission from a police committee, according to a new edict issued by the department.

Full Article on NBCNewyork.com

Kelly bans cops from wearing NYPD gear without prior approval

By JAMIE SCHRAM

NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly has ordered all cops to stop wearing clothes emblazoned with the department logo or shield unless it's part of their uniform or they get prior approval first, a law-enforcement source told The Post.

Full NY Post Article

Edited February 1, 2012 by firedude

[JJB531 652]

It's not about liability, and I would highly suggest that any active members of the NYPD refrain from egregious commentary in a public forum on this newest regulation imposed by the department.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Sorta makes sense, since anyone can buy something with the NYPD patch on it at any single store in NYC.

Though it is sort of strange to ban it OFF duty as well. Should be interesting to follow.

[JJB531 652]

In all honesty, it really makes no sense, but it is what it is. Some guys in the NYPD are proud to be NYPD officers, and are proud to wear certain articles of clothing that represents the department, their precinct, their unit, or their assignment. What it comes down to is just another way the department can ensure that no one does anything (or wears anything) that is going to give the department a negative image in the public eye.

[ny10570 745]

Hopefully the members will be inundating the office handling exception approvals with requests to keep everything from key chains to yankee hats. Simply banning the use of the logo in any way that brings disrepute or banning all non-licensed NYPD merch would have addressed the problem. Instead they go overboard and create unnecessary headaches.

[JJB531 652]

Hopefully the members will be inundating the office handling exception approvals with requests to keep everything from key chains to yankee hats. Simply banning the use of the logo in any way that brings disrepute or banning all non-licensed NYPD merch would have addressed the problem. Instead they go overboard and create unnecessary headaches.

The issue is that the majority of the stuff worn by NYPD members are T-shirts made by individual units or precincts, which is all considered "non-licensed NYPD merchandise" because it's not endorsed or sold by the department. The sale of these shirts and hats help fund precinct functions, and instills a sense of pride and comraderie amongst the members, and now that is being taken away unfortunately. But, sometimes those of us in emergency services are our own worst enemy, and obviously someone was wearing some inappropriate article of clothing that represented the NYPD in a negative manner, and the department decided to drop the hammer.

[ny10570 745]

Thats absolutely a problem, however there are work arounds for that. PBA has a copyrighted logo and as long as you avoid the specifically forbidden items the shirts can still be made.

[JJB531 652]

Thats absolutely a problem, however there are work arounds for that. PBA has a copyrighted logo and as long as you avoid the specifically forbidden items the shirts can still be made.

Yes, I'm very well aware of that, and more then likely that's the direction this whole logo controversy is going to head in, granted the unions allow individuals to use their logos for the purpose of making shirts, hats, etc. It still though prevents shirts and hats bearing the logos of specific units from within the NYPD from being displayed without authorization.

[M' Ave 1,466]

The real issue here is, how much control the city can exude over it's police officers when they're off duty. I don't work for the NYPD, but I DO work for the city of New York and I'll be damned if I let them tell me what I can and can't wear while I'm off duty. Simple fact is, they don't pay me enough to control my life 24/7/365. They barely pay me enough to be on duty 50 hours a week...

Look, it's bad enough that you can get fired for a DWI that's gotten while off duty. I know...DWI's are a terrible thing and I understand the need for the job to enforce it, but it's yet another encroachment on my time and life as a private citizen, not a uniformed officer. Mayor Bloomberg states that NYPD officers are "always NYPD officers"...to that I say....I guess you'd better pay them about 120 hours of overtime a week, because that's the time they're not "on duty", but really always are according the Mayor Mike.

[FightingIrish 7]

Have to say the off duty part just seems like a violation of rights. Certian things I can understand but that goes a bit far.

[16fire5 693]

I would be in real trouble if we got this rule. My brother in law always asks if the first thing we do when we get to a fire is plan the next t-shirt. Hopefully the union can get this re-evaluated and reworded to acomplish it's intent while allowing guys to wear their precint t shirt off duty.

[JJB531 652]

The real issue here is, how much control the city can exude over it's police officers when they're off duty. I don't work for the NYPD, but I DO work for the city of New York and I'll be damned if I let them tell me what I can and can't wear while I'm off duty. Simple fact is, they don't pay me enough to control my life 24/7/365. They barely pay me enough to be on duty 50 hours a week...

Look, it's bad enough that you can get fired for a DWI that's gotten while off duty. I know...DWI's are a terrible thing and I understand the need for the job to enforce it, but it's yet another encroachment on my time and life as a private citizen, not a uniformed officer. Mayor Bloomberg states that NYPD officers are "always NYPD officers"...to that I say....I guess you'd better pay them about 120 hours of overtime a week, because that's the time they're not "on duty", but really always are according the Mayor Mike.

One would question how much control the city can exude over it's Police Officers when they're off duty. Truth is, you can get suspended for just the "I" part of DWI. It's called "Unfit for Duty". Because NYC Police Officers are considered "on-duty" 24/7/365 (besides their annual vacation weeks), the NYPD prohibits it's Police Officers from becoming intoxicated... ever... in a bar, in your house, at a BBQ, at a wedding. Is it enforced ever? Actually yes it is, so off-duty conduct is monitored and regulated in more then one way by the City.

[CBX4627 114]

In one of the articles i read on this, it said that Kelly was out and saw a supposed "off duty member" wearing some sort of unauthorized NYPD shirt that had the motto "Kill'em all, let god sort them out"..................He made the ruling after that.............as a former member of the NYPD, I think it's completely ridiculous!:angry:

But then again, my PD academy instructors always told us not to wear "buff stuff" on our days off, and to not tell the world that you are a cop!

[mike2931 13]

I think it's actually rediculous that it's come to this I did 7 years and it's the best move I made to get off that job they are worrying more about jamming up cops then catching criminals. It's a violation of civil rights for them to tell them what they can and can not wear off duty, on duty that's a different story if your in plain clothes. A lot of the articles that I've read over the past two days says no coffee mugs pens, basically anthing that isn't bought from the NYPD equipment section is unauthorized if it's bearing the logo. Someone should make up NYPD toilet paper and put in in the stalls at headquaters. You can't even say that the job is down the tubes, THE JOB IS DEAD