What a nutter.
1. Clarke’s four-star epaulets are standard for a chief of police or sheriff.
2. This is a pin that reads “Sheriff” made and branded by
the Harley-Davidson motorcycle company. (Thanks to Charlie Deck for spotting it.)
WTF!?
4. A U.S. flag lapel pin.
5. A
“thin blue line” pin. The expression “thin blue line” is meant to evoke the role of police in society: a thin blue line of people willing to stand between us and them. This pin mirrors similar others that are
popular in the United Kingdom. WTF?
6. This is a pin for the
Israeli civil guard, a branch of the Israeli police that serves as a sort of neighborhood watch since terrorist attacks in the mid-1970s. (You can see a
more clear version of it here.) At other times, Clarke has worn a badge for the
Israeli traffic police. (Much thanks to Naomi Fry, Jacob Kornbluh and Noga Tarnopolsky for their help tracking down this badge.) This was a particularly tricky badge to identify until we found this tweet in which it’s more clearly identifiable. WTF?
7. Clarke’s actual sheriff’s badge.
8. A 9/11 memorial pin, presumably of the sort Clarke mentioned in the interview above. WTF?
9. This appears to be a small lapel pin that says “WTC” (like
this one), a reference to attacks at the World Trade Center. (Thanks to Ryan Shyffer for helping identify this.) Pins similar to this were given out to New York Police Department officers who helped in the aftermath of the attacks. WTF?
10. Almost certainly a badge for the General Mitchell International Airport division of the Milwaukee County Sheriffs Department. A source who wished to remain anonymous sent a photo of a similar badge, depicting a five-pointed star on a background of extended wings. WTF?
11. A pin from the National Rifle Association. Clarke has been a proponent of the organization for some time, including
starring in an ad for the NRA. WTF?
12. A U.S. flag bar pin.
13. A small replica of a 19th-century U.S. Secret Service badge (like
this one). (Steve Hager identified it as being a souvenir given out to those who help out with a presidential visit. Thanks to Johanna Farkas for finding the original.)
14. A 75th anniversary
FBI National Academy pin. The academy provides professional training on intelligence, terrorism, management and forensic science. You can see a
more clear version of this pin here. (Thanks to Kyle McAllister-Grum, who identified this.)
15. Clarke’s name tag.
16. A “thin blue line” ribbon from
Concerns of Police Survivors, an organization for the family members of law enforcement officials killed in the line of duty.
17. An
FBI National Executive Institute pin. The institute trains law enforcement executives in leadership.
18. A pin labeled “NSI,” perhaps for the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Initiative of which
Milwaukee is a part. WTF?
19. An FBI National Academy completion pin. Clarke’s relationship with the FBI over the years means that one can
stumble across politically interesting photos like this one.
WTF?
20. Pin for the CeaseFire crime reduction program of which he was once
a liaison for the Milwaukee Police Department.
21. A pin depicting a baby’s feet (
“the precious feet”), signifying support for the anti-abortion movement. WTF?
22. Blue Knights
law enforcement motorcycle club pin. WTF?
Analysis | Here’s what the pins that Sheriff Clarke wears actually mean
resigns, I wonder why?
