A friend of mine emailed me tonight because she was quite upset over the patch that she had received from an employee at the Essex County, New Jersey Sheriff's Department, she was told that persons who make a patch request who are not affiliated with law enforcement (i.e. Police Officer, Sheriff, Deputy Sheriff etc..) will receive a generic patch which is exactly the same as the ones worn by the ECSD Deputy Sheriff's except that the sheriff's star with the New Jersey State Seal in the center has been omitted on purpose, Law enforcement officers who request a patch will receive the regular departmental patch. Apparently this has been done as a result of changes in departmental policies and to comply with certain federal homeland security rules.

This seems new to me, I've never heard of a law enforcement agency giving out altered departmental patches.

AS A NJ L.E.O. AND COLLECTOR FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS NOW I CAN SAY THAT I NEVER HAVE HEARD OF THIS, NOR HAVE I SEEN THE PATCH YOU HAVE SHOWN .. I WORK IN HUDSON COUNTY AND ESSEX COUNTY IS RIGHT ACROSS FROM ME.. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS ONE BEFORE... I DO NOT THINK THAT THE DEPARTMENT IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM WOULD EVEN BOTHER TO MAKE A DIFFERENT VERSION PATCH FOR COLLECTORS .. PLUS ESSEX COUNTY PATCHES ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE ON E-BAY SO WHY BOTHER?? I THINK THESE WERE UNFINISHED PATCHES THAT THE TRADER GOT AHOLD OF FOR DIRT CHEAP AND IS TRADING THEM .. WHAT A SHAME .. IF YOUR FRIEND IS LOOKING FOR A REAL ONE , LET ME KNOW .. I HAVE ABOUT 80 OF THEM !!