DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. — A Michigan mayor is walking back an announcement from the Dearborn Heights Police Department after the agency shared a new optional uniform patch featuring Arabic script.
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The patch, shown in a digital mock-up on Sept. 3 on the department’s Facebook page, displayed the words “Dearborn Heights Police” in both English and Arabic.
Two days after the patch was revealed, city officials said the design was intended as an internal discussion and should not have been presented as an official option.
In a statement on Sept. 5, Mayor Bill Bazzi emphasized that the patch “remains an idea and should NOT have been presented as an official prototype.”
“Should efforts like this be formally undertaken to make any changes to the police uniform, it is our goal to include multiple PD stakeholders for a larger conversation, to ensure all are included in the discussion,” Bazzi said. “As we are one PD, each individual’s uniform represents the DHPD as a whole, and therefore merits the review and input of all.”
Bazzi also praised the department’s community engagement efforts, citing the launch of the city’s first Youth Explorers Program and the hosting of its largest-ever National Night Out event.
The original Facebook post credited Officer Emily Murdoch with designing the patch to reflect the city’s diversity, FOX2 News Detroit reports.
Dearborn Heights, located just west of Detroit, has a population of about 61,000, with nearly 39% of residents of North African or Middle Eastern descent, according to FOX2 News.
What are your thoughts on optional police uniform patches that reflect community diversity — do they build inclusion or create division?
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