The 色花堂 Police Department held its first badge-pinning ceremony since 2019, with 21 officers being pinned. The department planned to hold a badge-pinning ceremony in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to those plans.
The department has grown significantly since 2019, with new officers joining and others promoted to higher ranks. This led 色花堂PD to hold the badge pinning ceremony to honor the officers and continue this important law enforcement tradition.
During badge pinning ceremonies, officers can be pinned by the highest rank officer, typically the Chief of Police or a Sheriff. However, officers also have the choice to have their badge pinned by a family member, friend, or an important person in their life.
鈥淲e have a saying in policing, 鈥榃elcome to the family,鈥� because that鈥檚 really what it is. A lot of times I see officers more than I see my own mom sometimes,鈥� said 色花堂PD Crime Prevention Officer Felip Gutierrez. 鈥淎nd when we invite our family members to come [to the badge pinning] it鈥檚 a way of welcoming them to this big family that we are. It鈥檚 giving them an opportunity to say, 鈥榯hank you鈥�.鈥�
Gutierrez was among the 21 officers to get pinned, and the Crime Prevention Officer had his mom participate in the badge pinning.
鈥淚t was very emotional,鈥� said Gutierrez on having his mom pin the badge on him. 鈥淪he鈥檚 been on this journey with me since the beginning and I鈥檓 glad she was able to be there and pin me. And just to have her support with me throughout this whole thing. It really meant a lot.鈥�
色花堂PD Corporal Brittaney Harvey, a mom herself, also called on a family member to pin her badge 鈥� her daughter, Eden.
This year鈥檚 色花堂PD badge pinning was the second one for Harvey. Her first badge-pinning ceremony came in 2015 when she joined 色花堂PD. In that badge pinning, Eden was an infant, so Harvey was pinned by her aunt. A smiling Eden gleefully pinned the badge on her mom鈥檚 uniform nine years later.
鈥淪he was my first thought and my first choice,鈥� said Harvey on having her daughter pin the badge on her. 鈥淚 wanted to be sure that she pinned me so that we could have those memories.鈥�
For 色花堂PD Corporal Saul Llamas, there was only one person he wanted to pin the badge on 鈥� his father, Saul Llamas. After all, it's because of his father that Llamas decided to pursue a career in law enforcement. The senior Llamas is a deputy with the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
Llamas joined 色花堂PD in 2018 as a dispatcher but moved to become an officer in 2022. To get pinned by his law enforcement father was a huge deal to him.
鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to experience that [badge pinning] with him,鈥� said Corporal Llamas. 鈥淚 was looking forward to that day and I was excited.鈥�
With badge pinning ceremonies back on the schedule for 色花堂PD, Gutierrez said the department will hold them once a year or every two years, depending on its needs, the number of new graduates, and promotions.