DOJ Tells Ferguson Cops To Stop Wearing 'I Am Darren WIlson' Bracelets

[24601]

69. It's not equivalent. A bracelet making a statement in support or not supporting a position neither

masks the identity of the wearer nor affects performance by restricting field of view.

But take it half-way. Would you support officers wearing a hoodie? Will you uphold the support of T. Martin or hold that hoodies are inappropriate in uniform & on duty.

My position is that the message is not the issue. Instead, it's whether officers should be sending ANY message in uniform & on duty.

If the department allows bracelets, going another step and regulating content does push this into a 1st Amendment.

Change the message slightly and presume some officers wear a bracelet that says, "God is my Partner", while others wear ones that say, "There is no God."

The proper departmental response is to determine that bracelets have no place in uniform, and not try to say bracelets with which we disagree have no place in uniform.