CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A post circulating on Instagram shows a person holding what looks like a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police badge but it doesn't have a badge number on it.
In the video, the person holding the badge questioned if it was real because there is no badge number. The poster claims an officer lost their badge while chasing a suspect. The comments on the post include numerous people asking if the badge is real with skeptics questioning the legitimacy because it doesn't have a badge number.
The VERIFY team did some research on this to find out more about CMPD badges.
THE QUESTION
Does CMPD have a badge number imprinted on the badge itself?
THE ANSWER
No, CMPD does not have numbers imprinted on the badge itself.
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OUR SOURCES
WHAT WE FOUND
The badge in the video says "officer" and shows the police department logo and the state "N.C."
In an email, CMPD told VERIFY:
"Our badges do not have numbers on them. Just rank."
After some research, WCNC Charlotte found that many departments in North Carolina, including Charlotte and Durham, do not show numbers on their badges.
What happens if an officer loses a badge? According to CMPD Policy, that officer must report it to their supervisor and operations command. The supervisor will investigate the loss of equipment and prepare a written report plus a recommendation to replace it.
If the investigation determines the employee was negligent in losing the badge, that officer might be required to reimburse the department.
The best thing to do if you find a police badge is to turn it into the police department it came from.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
WCNC Charlotte's Verify series is all about trying to make a difference in the Carolinas by making sure the community has the correct information. WCNC Charlotte outlines concisely what we know and what we don't know. Sometimes the answer can be surprising. Watch previous stories where we verify social media claims in the YouTube playlist below and subscribe to get updated when new videos are uploaded.