Essex County (N.J.) is where I grew up. It was where I started a career in probation in 1965. I had to purchase my own badge, due to budgetary issues, back then. Over the years I bought more than one. It is only natural that I obtained these badges from this department as part of my collection.
The four shields pictured represent the rank groups that were authorized badges. The four ranks are: Officer, Principal Officer, Assistant Chief, and Chief. These were the only badges issued in a uniform manor, with appropriate record keeping in place.
Prior to this issue of the pictured badges a few shields were purchased by the department, or officer, and recycled. This practice died in the 60's. From then until the late 80's everyone was on their own. Some officers did not have badges, but most purchased 'something.'
Uniformity was non existent. Officers purchased what they liked or what they could afford. The department maintained no records of these private purchases. In the late 1980's that changed, as the department approved the design in the badges pictured here. Records were also kept.
H Buchlien & Son made the badges in this rank set. They made the official badges from the mid 80's until 1994. Hard to believe that was fifteen years ago when the County probation departments became part of a State run system. The State took about a year or so to issue their own badge rendering these beauties obsolete.
There are not many collectors of probation badges. That makes obtaining them extremely difficult, but it also makes those that have been acquired a true treasure. These four have a prominent spot, under glass in my museum, and certainly bring back fond memories.
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