...
By Marni Rose McFall
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The Dearborn Heights Police Department in Michigan has sparked fury online after it unveiled a new, optional police patch, which features both English and Arabic. This badge was a suggestion, and introduced as a prototype, rather than an official redesign, and has not been implemented. Nevertheless, its existence has sparked fury online.
Newsweek has reached out to the Dearborn Heights Police Department via email for comment.
Why It Matters
In 2023, Dearborn became the first Arab-majority city in the U.S. Home to both the Arab American National Museum and the largest mosque in North America, 110,000 people live in the Michigan city.
Read More on News
...
Online fury and backlash often come in response to things like logos being changed or brands doing a refresh, particularly if people think that there is a political motivation behind these changes.
What To Know
The Dearborn Heights Police Department revealed an optional police patch, which is the first in the U.S. to feature English and Arabic.
A Facebook post was shared about this on the Department's social media on September 3. Comments were later disabled, and, as of reporting, the post appears to have been deleted.
Newsweek contacted Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi for comment in response to the fallout over the badge. In response, his office shared a press release that included comments from Bazzi, reading in part, "On Wednesday, September 3rd, information was disseminated from the Dearborn Heights Police Department regarding a digital mock-up of the DHPD patch bearing the department name translated in Arabic script."
"The design mock-up idea showed the words 'Dearborn Heights Police' in Arabic and was said to be optional. The patch effort was an internal discussion among some within the police department, which was not put forth for consensus or further review," the post continued.
This release noted that before efforts like these are considered or undertaken, it is the goal of the department to include multiple department stakeholders for a larger conversation.
Backlash to the badge online was swift. The author Jack Posobeic shared a report about the badge and wrote on X, "We are being colonized," in a post viewed 1.1 million times.
The discourse, though, was not altogether negative, with some people praising the badge and ridiculing the criticism.
What People Are Saying
A statement from Dearborn Mayor Bill Bazzi, shared with Newsweek in a press release over email: "At this time, this patch addition remains an idea and should NOT have been presented as an official prototype. With regard to the outstanding efforts that have been implemented, I am very proud of our Chief and officers who have spearheaded countless community wide initiatives to engage all members of our community, including the first Dearborn Heights Youth Explorers Program and the largest DHPD Night Out event."
Narjes Rahmati, a historian, wrote on X: "There is absolutely nothing related to Islam in this uniform patch. It says, in Arabic, "Dearborn Heights. Police." Dearborn Heights has been home to a Christian and Muslim Arab community for over a century."
Brigitte Gabriel, a media personality, on X: "This is how it starts. Dearborn Heights Police Dept. now has the nation's first-ever uniform patch in Arabic. The civilization takeover has begun."
@BigBlueWaveUSA, an account on X which has over 100,000 followers and shares posts in opposition to President Donald Trump: "This. Is. Awesome! In a country full of Republicans setting a tone of hated toward EVERYONE who is non Christian, we need this! Dearborn Heights has a very high percentage of Arab American residents and law enforcement officers - so this is not just appropriate, it's wonderful."
What's Next
Whether the badge will be implemented into uniforms remains to be seen.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines