On June 1, the third day of demonstrations in Philadelphia, I approached the metal barricade separating protesters from police officers. Officers formed a line to prevent protesters from moving into the area in front of a municipal building in Center City, where the infamous statue of former Mayor Frank Rizzo, a strong supporter of segregation, was being guarded. I was live streaming the event on Facebook when a friend watching from home asked, “Are those officers wearing name tags? Are their badge numbers covered?”
Physical violence against protesters peaked later that week when kneeling demonstrators were met with tear gas and other chemical agents. Peaceful marchers were cornered and shot with rubber bullets, tear-gassed, beaten with batons, dragged down a hill, and jailed.
I looked more closely at the line of officers and realized that most of them wore a thick strip of black fabric, called a mourning crepe, across their badges—intentionally placing the band over their badge number for anonymity. Although a few of them wore nameplates, many also removed these from their shirts.
In this area the day before, a crowd of marching protesters had been blocked by police, who escalated the tension by using bicycles as weapons—shoving them into people on the front line. Eventually, tear gas canisters were thrown into the crowd. At this same location, police cars were flipped and set on fire by protesters following a confrontation with an armored vehicle which pushed through the crowd spraying protesters with pepper spray and tear gas.
Physical violence against protesters peaked later that week when kneeling demonstrators were met with tear gas and other chemical agents. Peaceful marchers were cornered and shot with rubber bullets, tear-gassed, beaten with batons, dragged down a hill, and jailed.
Ania, a legal observer with the Up Against the Law collective who asked that her last name not be used to protect her privacy, says, “People were walking down the street and got attacked. From my perspective, it’s the police out here rioting today. And that’s my trained, professional opinion.”
The use of such overt violence hasn’t continued during more recent gatherings in my city, but both protesters and journalists are still being arrested in Philadelphia and around the country. And that has Ania concerned.
“Police forces throughout the country right now are highly militarized and using sadistic techniques,” she says. “Typically, legal observers can act as a buffer between police and protesters—working as liaisons and de-escalators—but during these demonstrations, medics, legal observers, and journalists become targets. Three of our observers needed to be hospitalized and one was arrested. Our presence is supposed to protect First Amendment rights, but they aren’t respecting our role.”
She says she is bothered that hidden badge numbers and nameplates make it harder to hold officers accountable when they break laws or violate policies.
Gary Potter, a professor at Eastern Kentucky University and an expert in police tactics and policies, explains that officers are typically required to wear badges and show identification when prompted. Even detectives, he notes, usually carry a visible badge unless participating in an undercover operation.
Philadelphia’s Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a press conference that the city does not have an official policy for how mourning crepes should be worn but she instructed officers to avoid covering identification while on the job. In other municipalities, it is against regulations to obscure badge numbers with a mourning crepe—but that doesn’t make it illegal. How this is handled largely depends on a department’s culture and training.
As community members took to social media to post photos of officers covering their badge numbers, the official Twitter account of the Philadelphia Police Department claimed that officers were displaying mourning crepes to honor recently fallen officers.
But NYPD officers have also been photographed doing the same. In fact, officers all over the country are being scrutinized for similarly concealing their identities while policing rallies and protests. In some cases, officers have failed to even wear clearly marked uniforms despite carrying weapons and riot gear.
Protesters in Chicago are calling out the names of officers who have received complaints, using information that is available online. They announce allegations with a megaphone to attempt to promote accountability and raise awareness about chronic police violence.
Nuha Dolby
Potter highlights that, in the early days of policing, many officers didn’t want to wear badges or uniforms because they didn’t want to be easily recognized. Potter says that when badges were first implemented in the mid-nineteenth century, they were smaller with no personally identifying numbers or name tags. As policing became more professionalized in the mid-twentieth century, identification and badges became a requirement.
Police unions developed as a way to protect officers from outside interference with their jobs—but Potter asserts that they have always been corrupt, explaining that those who are politically connected and willing to remain quiet about systemic issues impacting departments are often elected and appointed to leadership roles. Potter notes that they operate as more of a fraternity, where members protect each other in a brotherhood.
Videos taken by protesters in Philadelphia captured violent behavior by staff inspector Joseph Bologna, who beat a demonstrator. He was later charged with assault and suspended after protesters demanded action following the incident—but the Philadelphia Police Union is selling T-shirts that read, “Bologna Strong” as a way to show support for the suspended officer.
As Potter told me, unions blur the lines to defend officer misbehavior as though it’s standard and reasonable. He urges local governments to work to undo contract provisions that allow officers to wear mourning bands. “Municipalities shouldn’t agree to terms that uphold anonymity during contract negotiations,” he says.
Some protesters, including those in Philadelphia, are calling for a citizen advisory and review board to promote accountability. Although, as Potter sees it, it’s unlikely that the current system of police unions and departments will allow for the necessary level of accountability.
Officers and unions could continue to use legal loopholes to promote anonymity and refuse accountability. But this will continue to be a key component of the demands for police reform that are currently bringing people to the streets.