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An example of the new Ogden City Police Department badges, which are based on one of the department's earliest badge designs.

Photo supplied, Ogden City Police Department

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An example of the new Ogden City Police Department badges, which are based on one of the department's earliest badge designs.

Photo supplied, Ogden City Police Department

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Ogden police officers are pictured in 1926 wearing the badge design that the department's new badges are based on.

Photo supplied, Ogden City Police Department

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OGDEN — It isn’t often that law enforcement agencies get a new badge design.

Over the last few weeks, officers with the Ogden City Police Department have been receiving a new badge with a design based on a design last utilized by the department in the 1960s to mark a major milestone for the department and reconnect it with its long history.

In an email from the Ogden City Police Department, Chief Jake Sube said the look is based on a well-worn badge design.

“The new badge was designed to replicate the shape and styling of what we believe, based on historical research, was worn by Ogden Police Department officers from the late 1800s through the mid- to late 1960s,” he said. “From what we’ve been able to determine, this design closely mirrors the first standardized uniform badge issued to OPD officers.”

According to the email, “the badge uses a traditional police shield shape and is produced in two finishes: silver for officer-level ranks and gold for all supervisory-level ranks. At the top is a bald eagle with wings spread — a longstanding law enforcement symbol of vigilance and authority. In the eagle’s beak is a waving banner reading ‘Est. 1855,’ recognizing the year the department was founded. The badge’s center features the Great Seal of the State of Utah, framed by three scroll banners: the top displays the officer’s rank, the center reads ‘Ogden,’ and the lower banner identifies the wearer as ‘Police.'”

Sube said an upcoming anniversary helped spur the department into the redesign.

“This year marks the 170th anniversary of the Ogden Police Department’s establishment — making it one of the oldest municipal law enforcement agencies in Utah,” he said. “We place great value on the history and culture of this department, and we are committed to honoring the legacy of those who came before us — individuals who dedicated their lives to the service and protection of Ogden’s residents. We believe that returning to a badge design worn by officers more than a century ago is a small but meaningful tribute to the department’s origins and enduring mission.”

He said that redesigns like this are actually fairly rare in law enforcement agencies.

“Badge redesigns are relatively uncommon in law enforcement — most agencies keep the same core badge design for decades, only making changes for significant anniversaries, rebranding efforts, or uniform updates,” he said. “While we can’t be sure when the Ogden Police Department last changed its badge style, historical photographs suggest the now retired design was adopted sometime in the mid-1960s. We unfortunately don’t know why the decision to move to a new design was made at that time.”

Sube added the redesign was aided by a find in one of the most unlikely of places.

“Our department is only in possession of one original badge which we believe, based on its markings, was manufactured/worn sometime in the 1920s or 30s,” he said. “We were fortunate enough to find the badge for sale on eBay in 2024 from a police badge reseller located on the east coast. It’s unclear how the reseller came to be in possession of the badge, but we feel fortunate that we are now in possession of it. It was used to help model/design our ‘new’ badge.”

The new badge was announced publicly by Ogden Mayor Ben Nadolski during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Marshall N. White Community Center in May. The namesake of the center, Marshall White, was an officer with the Ogden Police Department who was killed in the line of duty in 1963.

“We were thrilled that the reintroduction of this badge closely coincided with the reopening of the Marshall N. White Community Center, primarily because we know that Marshall White — a revered member of the Ogden Police Department — carried and wore this badge design,” Sube said.

He said the change goes further than just a simple redesign.

“Issuing these new badges wasn’t about cosmetic change — it was about restoring a sense of identity, continuity, and pride,” he said. “Law enforcement work is rooted in tradition, and the badge each officer wears is more than just a uniform item — it’s a symbol of duty, service, and connection to those who came before.

“By returning to a design worn by our predecessors over a century ago, we’re reinforcing the idea that every officer who wears this badge today is part of something much bigger than themselves. It’s a visible reminder that the responsibility we carry didn’t start with us — it was handed down — and we have an obligation to uphold and build on that legacy.”

All Ogden City Police Department officers have been issued the new badge.