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NYC Police Department, New York (U.S.)

by Blas Delgado Ortiz, 27 June 2001

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During the year 1919, the Police Flag, representative of the Police Department of the City of New York, was adopted.

The disposition of the Jack and stripes is that consecrated in American tradition by National colors. The five alternate bars of white and brilliant green have been chosen to symbolize the five boroughs of Greater New York.

The original group of villages, towns and cities which have by coalescence formed the Greater City of New York are placed in circular constellation of white stars upon the field of the Jack. The cities form the center of this constellation, the towns surround the cities, villages lie in an outer circle about the towns - and these stars reposing in unbroken order have been set upon a field of deep blue - the color of the uniform by which the guardians of our security and order are daily recognized by the millions who are within the shielding of their vigilance and strength. The fringes and tassels of gold, the blue field and the white stars and stripes, bring all the colors of our City Flag in this, our Police Flag.

The brilliant green is the traditional and sentimental Police color.

Dov Gutterman, 9 April 1999

The US blue color for police is said to derive from the fact that many departments were formally organized after the Civil War; many of the policemen were returning soldiers who wore their blue uniforms on the job. Blue wouldn't be used in opposition to the Army colors (as in the UK, scarlet), as the US armed forces were always blue (in opposition to the UK, perhaps).

The NYPD flag uses both blue and green, explaining that blue is for the uniform and green is a "traditional and sentimental police color." I think part of that may stem from heavy Irish representation on US police departments (poor immigrants, mid-1800's, drawn to "lower class" jobs). To this day, there are green lights outside NYPD buildings.

Nathan Lamm, 15 April 2003

Based on History of New York City subdivisions, the 24 stars represent all of the cities, towns, and incorporated villages (unincorporated villages are not represented) that were amalgamated into the City of Greater New York (this was the official name for the first few years) in 1898.

The inner circle of three stars represents the cities:

New York City, then already including what is today the Bronx.
The City of Brooklyn, which had by then absorbed the whole of Kings County.
Long Island City in Queens County.

The middle circle of nine stars represents the towns:

In Queens County, Newtown, Flushing, Jamaica, and the Rockaway Peninsula of the Town of Hempstead.
In Richmond County, Castleton, Northfield, Southfield, Westfield, and Middletown.

The outer circle of twelve stars represents the incorporated villages:

In Queens County:

In Flushing, the Village of Flushing, College Point, and Whitestone.
In Jamaica, the Village of Jamaica and Richmond Hill.
In the Rockaway Peninsula of the Town of Hempstead, Far Rockaway, Rockaway Beach, and Averne-by-the-Sea.

In Richmond County,

Coterminous with Castleton, New Brighton.

In Northfield, Port Richmond.
In Middletown, Edgewater.
In Westfield, Tottenville.

There is one star representing one incorporated village that I have not accounted for. I rather suspect this is in Richmond County, perhaps Richmondtown, the county seat, or maybe Stapleton. Someone with a better knowledge of Staten Island history could help here.

Richard Knipel, 18 July 2004

I have spoken to Harry Macy, and done a little research on my own, and can now definitely confirm that the 12th incorporated village which was consolidated into New York City was Averne-by-the-Sea, formerly in the Town of Hempsted.

Ned Smith, 20 July 2004