An individual obtains their police badge after graduating the academy. A badge is beneficial to policemen because it recognizes them as part of the force and their future career path. Communities also benefit from this artifact because the police are meant to keep people safe by enforcing the law and instilling fear for illegal action. Badges are necessary because they represent a sense of authority and identity. For example, when police respond to a situation, ordinary people do not blindly obey requests until they see a uniform accompanied by a badge. The badge signifies trust that you can obey orders from the official. However, the need for this artifact has changed overtime. While a badge is still used to identify an officer, recently the media and younger generations express desire for less people to behold badges. In the past, people felt a greater sense of safety when there was a larger police presence in communities. The artifact is now controversial, as the police force is criticized for their lack of training and inherent bias against African American and Latino communities, since these areas are heavily policed. To older generations, the police embody dedication, commitment to service, and respect. While some younger folk hold the police in high regard, it is more common that this group view the police force as an overfunded and corrupt institution.
A police badge represents commonplaces such as service, community, authority, and safety. On the other hand, police badges are embedded with racial biases that are commonplace in America, specifically in the justice system. Commonplace phrases associated with the police badge include “defund the police” and “back the blue,” which sheds light on the conflicting perspectives of what it means to possess a badge.This artifact is civic because earning a badge highlights an individual who engages in civic acts every day to protect their community. People do not risk their lives every day to become police officers for the salary, but rather they are dedicated to serving their community.