Bethel Police Department to Unveil New Patches on Uniforms in January Written by Bethel Police Department
The officers of the Bethel Police Department have worn the same patch since the 1970 s; a bright blue, yellow, and red patriotic patch that mirrors the shape and design of our beloved badges. While our patch has represented us well throughout the years, our department and our officers have grown tremendously. Seeing as 2020 had been a year of great change and adaptation, we have adopted a new Bethel Police Department patch.
The patch redesign was initiated by Chief Jeffrey Finch approximately four years ago and upon his retirement from the department, Chief Pugner continued his efforts. While conceptualizing the new design, Chief Pugner made sure to incorporate the colors black and gold, seeing as they had been in all of our prior patches. As a specific homage to our most recent patch, the American flag and bald eagle were also retained. In addition to updating the
A shooting deeply impacts not only the individual who was shot, but the whole community. Bethel Police Chief Richard Simmons said that when shootings happen, people should remember the officers, who are also human and are affected by these tragedies.
“I ve got a police department right now that their hearts hurt. You know, because this affects us deeply,” Simmons said.
Besides the hit to the department’s morale, a police shooting can increase the burden of work on the other officers who weren’t involved. Because of the two separate shooting events, Simmons placed four officers on administrative leave to allow them time to emotionally process those events.