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A recent viral post on X questioned New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick’s badge orientation, garnering over 100,000 views and sparking public discussion.
The social media post criticized Kirkpatrick’s leadership capabilities, questioning why her badge appeared to be worn upside down. “Is her badge upside down? She already doesn’t instill confidence – if she doesn’t even know which way to wear her badge it seems worse, no?” the post stated, accompanied by an image showing Kirkpatrick in uniform with an inverted badge.
"DEI programs prioritize representation over competence, and it shows. Anne Kirkpatrick's tenure in Oakland ended in controversy after she exposed corruption, yet she was still hired in New Orleans. Now, amid a tragedy on Bourbon Street, her leadership is being called into… pic.twitter.com/iVXr7WRs4w
— Assemblyman Ari Brown (@AssemblymanAriB) January 2, 2025
However, this observation reflects a misunderstanding of NOPD traditions. The department’s website explains that this distinctive badge positioning carries historical significance dating back to the 1800s. The practice serves to distinguish the superintendent from other officers and symbolizes their unique leadership role and responsibilities within the force.
“Historically, the Superintendent of Police wore his badge upside-down (inverted) compared to the badges worn by the rest of the police force. This was originally begun during the late 1800s to make the Superintendent stand out among the rest of the police force. It is also symbolic in that the Superintendent alone carries the weight and power of the Police Department and has the responsibility to lead,” according to the NOPD website.
NOLA: New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick did not realize the city had 'Yellow Archers' on New Years Eve. The devices would have stopped the ISIS terrorist from killing pedestrians on Bourbon Street had they been used. Kirkpatrick makes $335,000 a year. pic.twitter.com/16VDz8w0Yh
— @amuse (@amuse) January 3, 2025
The claim’s inaccuracy has been confirmed by multiple sources. Full Fact, a UK-based fact-checking organization, published a report on January 2nd confirming the intentional nature of the inverted badge. Additionally, an NOPD spokesperson explicitly refuted the claim’s validity, stating “In response to this request, we can assure that this claim is inaccurate.”
No credible news sources have supported the assertion that Kirkpatrick’s badge placement was a mistake, further confirming the deliberate nature of this longstanding departmental tradition.
