California Highway Patrol Shoulder Patches
California Highway Patrol Shoulder Patch The official California Highway Patrol uniform patch was first adopted in 1948. Its birth resulted from legislation which separated the California Highway Patrol from the Department of Motor Vehicles and elevated the patrol to full Department stature. Alkaholiks coast ii coast zippers women. The patch is thought to have been designed by a then active State Traffic Officer. The background design of the patch is depicted in gold trim on blue field. These are the official State colors. Centered in the blue field is the Department's seven point badge of authority. The seven points of the badge symbolize the Department's philosophy toward professional law enforcement.
The points at the top represent character and integrity. The points at either side refer to knowledge and judgment. Upholding these are the tenets of honor and loyalty.
Sustaining them all is the final tenet of courtesy. Over the badge is superimposed an abbreviated replica of the Official Great Seal of the State. Keeping watch over the tableau of the Great Seal is the armored figure of Minerva who, in Grecian mythology, was goddess of the arts and sciences, wise in peace and war.
Like the political birth of our State, she was born full grown from the brain of Jupiter, father of the gods and guardian of law and order. California was among the nation's few to be admitted to statehood without first having gone through the usual probationary period as a territory. The California Grizzly Bear (Ursus Horribilis Californicus) stands at the feet of the goddess. Now extinct in California, it was a particularly large and fierce animal.
Border Patrol Patches For Sale
It has long symbolized the state as independent and formidable. The grape leaves at the nose of the bear are emblematic of the State's agricultural production. The miner laboring with pick axe represent industry, while the San Francisco Bay shipping scene typifies commercial greatness. The sun rising in the east over the awesome grandeur of the snow-clad Sierra Nevada Mountain peaks in the background, contrasts with the desert cactus in the foreground. This is thought to represent the extraordinarily diverse topography of the State and also symbolizes the Department's statewide jurisdiction. Finally, the Official State Motto, 'Eureka' (I have found it) applies either to the principle involved in the admission of the State or to the success of the miner at work.
Click on the patch to return to the 'family' page. Back to main page.
The Comic Strip Doonesbury, the CHP and Me by Phil Konstantin (CHP, Retired) I was a California Highway Patrol officer from 1985 to 2005. During the early 1990s, I worked at the CHP Border Division as the Assistant Public Affairs Cordinator (APAC), and as the Media Information Officer (MIO). Part of my job as the APAC was to go through the local newspapers and find stories related to law enforcement. I would cut appropriate articles out and put them in a scrapbook. The scrapbook would then be passed among the Division brass so they could stay up on local issues. One day during my break, someone walked by my office and saw me reading the comics. They jokingly asked if this was a part of my job.
I shot back that you never knew when the comics might involve the CHP. I was only joking, but I was soon to be proven right. Garry Trudeau does a comic strip called Doonesbury. It has always been one of the most popular comics. Its subjects are often political and occasionally controversial. In September of 1992, my joke about the CHP being in the 'funnies' came true. One of the Doonesbury characters named BD is known for always wearing a helmet (football, military, etc.).
In 1992, BD become a CHP motorcycle officer. Here is a copy of one of those early drawings of BD as a CHP motorcycle officer.
Best Western Yosemite Gateway Inn
(September 27, 1992) I immediately noticed the shoulder patch and helmet were wrong. The patch said 'CHP'. The helmet was two-toned and had no visor. This is not a big deal.
It wasn't like anyone would think it was a description of a real officer. Hey, it's a comic strip. Yet, being the helpful guy that I am, I decided to let the author know how a CHP motorcycle officer really looked. I sent Garry Trudeau a quick note saying I enjoyed Doonesbury. I also described the minor errors I had discovered. My letter included a picture of our patch ('camera-ready') and a CHP motorcycle officer in uniform. Now, I began to check the comics as part of my actual duties in order to see what this cartoon officer was doing.
A few weeks later, I was surprised to see BD's patch and helmet had changed to be more like the real ones. Here is a copy of the modified drawing of BD as a CHP motorcycle officer. (November 11, 1992) The shoulder patch is actually quite complicated. Trudeau did an nice job considering the small amount of space he had to work with. The helmet now reflected the CHP's three-toned style and visor.
Here are some photos of an actual CHP shoulder patch and helmet: Trudeau sent a nice note thanking me for the information and helping keep him accurate. This is just another example of the CHP living up to its motto of 'Safety and Service.' The following is the 'REQUIRED CHP DISCLAIMER' THIS PAGE CONTAINS PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS AND OPINIONS OF THE AUTHOR. IT DOES NOT REFLECT THE VIEWS, NOR REPRESENT AN OFFICIAL POSITION, OF THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL. FURTHER, THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL DOES NOT ENDORSE OR APPROVE THE CONTENT OF, NOR IS IT IN ANY MANNER AFFILIATED WITH OR RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT OF THIS WEB SITE. Since September 4, 2005.