Neenah police officers began wearing special badges on Jan.1, 2026 to mark the 250th birthday of America (Neenah Police Dept.)
NEENAH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Freedom is one of America’s founding ideals. And since our country was founded, we’ve entrusted local police departments to protect the various freedoms we enjoy.
As Officers with the City of Neenah Police Department engage with those in the community this year, they will be showing off their pride in being able to serve their small part of America. And they’ll be wearing that pride right there on their uniforms.
“Our department administration thought it would be a good idea to honor the 250th birthday of America by memorializing that on our department badges,” said Officer Joe Benoit, the community policing coordinator for the city of Neenah Police Department.
“Definitely a meaningful memento as an officer to put on the badge celebrating the birthday of our great nation,” said Benoit.
Officers played a role in what would be included on this special badge for 2026.
“There were a number of ideas submitted on what officers would like to see on a 250th anniversary badge for our nation,” explained Benoit.
Symbol Arts, the badge manufacturer, took their ideas. The company then presented various options to Neenah Police Department, which let the officers choose the one they liked best. The chosen badge includes recognizable symbols of the United States of America– like the Statue of Liberty, the American Bald Eagle and the U.S. Constitution. The badge also includes the dates and the words marking America’s 250th birthday.
“And one of my favorite parts about it is the encapsulation of the ‘We the People,'” said Benoit, “right there on the badge.”
Since officers started wearing the badge on January 1, early feedback has been good. Officer Benoit says he has personally received a few compliments on the badge. Social media responses on the department’s Facebook page also show a lot of positive feedback. Benoit hopes the positive energy will help bring the community and its officers even closer together.
“When I pin my badge on, when I start my shift it’s an honor to work in this community and the Fox Cities and specifically in the city of Neenah. I’m very proud to work for the community members here and I hope they appreciate the services we provide and the positive interactions we try to have with the public,” said Benoit.
Neenah Police indicate a majority of officers are wearing the special badges, that officers had to purchase themselves.
To share their pride for America on its milestone birthday, the department will be giving away collectible Neenah police officer trading cards this year to kids at various community events. For those who collect all 30 cards by Thanksgiving, they’ll be able to receive a 250th America anniversary commemorative coin.
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