LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
for LAPD INFO for items on this site-

See below for Award information
There are 10 new Ribbons shown here from my older chart.
This chart was re-done on 04/11/2013 to reflect new information gained, along with the order of the Ribbons,
thanks to Officer Gilbert Centeno


Numbers [1]-[2]-[3] ---[4]



OLD chart



LAPD
637. Wearing of Department Decorations.
http://www.lapdonline.org/lapd_manual/volume_3.htm#637
Table of contents for Ribbons and Medals---link to 637  as of 09/05/2018, scroll down to 637
637. WEARING OF DEPARTMENT DECORATIONS.
637.10 WEARING DECORATIONS.
General. Employees shall be encouraged to wear authorized medals or ribbons on the uniform shirt, or dress coat.
Note: Medals or ribbons shall not be worn on the nylon waist?length field jacket.
637.20 AUTHORIZED DEPARTMENT RIBBONS. Department-issued ribbons authorized for wear with the Department uniform in descending order of precedence are:
Medal of Valor.
    The Medal of Valor is the LAPD’s highest award conferred upon an officer in recognition of a single act of bravery above and beyond the call of duty. To be awarded the Medal
      officers must have distinguished themselves by conspicuous heroism and extreme courage n the face of imminent peril.
    Police Distinguished Service Medal.
    Police Commission Unit Citation.
Police Medal.
    The Police Medal is awarded in recognition of an officer who acts bravely and heroically, through a lesser degree that required     for the Medal of Valor.
    Purple Heart.
    Police Meritorious Service Medal.
    Police Meritorious Achievement Medal.
    Police Meritorious Unit Citation.
Police Star.
     The Police Star honors officers who have distinguished themselves either by acts of bravery or by performing with exceptional tactics and judgment in stressful situations.
    Lifesaving Medal.
    The Police Life-Saving Medal is an award for bravery, usually awarded to officers for taking action in order to rescue or attempt the rescue of either a fellow officer or any person from imminent danger.
    Police Commission Distinguished Service Medal.
    Police Commission Integrity Medal.
    Community Policing Medal.
    Human Relations Medal.
    Patrol Service Ribbon.
    Detective Service Ribbon.
    Reserve Officer Service Ribbon.
The Liberty Award
This was created in 1990 and has only been awarded once in the Department’s history. It is a medal for police canines who are killed or seriously injured in the line of duty.
The award is named after Liberty, a Metropolitan Division police K-9, who was shot and killed in the line of duty.

The precedence of ribbons without corresponding medals is listed below in order of seniority.  They shall be worn/displayed after the Reserve Officer Service Ribbon in the descending order of precedence, as follows:

    1984 Olympic Ribbon;
    1987 Papal Visit Ribbon;
    1992 Civil Unrest Ribbon;
    1994 Earthquake Ribbon;
    2000 Democratic National Convention Ribbon;
    Urban Police Rifle Cadre Ribbon; and,
    Shotgun Slug Ammunition Cadre Ribbon.

Note:  Seniority of subsequent event-related ribbons shall be determined based on the date of the event which the ribbon represents.  Weapons qualification ribbons denoting past or present membership in the Urban Police Rifle Cadre and/or the Shotgun Slug Ammunition Cadre shall be worn after the most current (i.e., most recent) event-related service ribbon.
The above listed ribbons are authorized for display on authorized Department uniforms for sworn, civilian, and volunteer members of the Department who engaged in Department activities related to the event denoted by the ribbon.  Plainclothes personnel are authorized to wear the corresponding lapel pins on appropriate business attire.
Officers and civilian personnel who have earned any Department medal or ribbon while assigned as a Reserve Police Officer, civilian employee, or as a Department volunteer are authorized to wear the appropriate ribbons on their Department uniform.
Note:  Only Department approved ribbons as delineated in Manual Section 3/637.20 are authorized for wear with the Department uniform.

637.30 MEDALS - WHERE WORN.
Single. If only one medal is to be worn, it shall be worn on the extreme right of the top seam of the left breast pocket flap.

Multiple.

    Uniform Shirt. If two or more medals are to be worn, they shall be worn on the top seam of the left breast pocket flap and extending to the left in descending order of precedence.

    Coat. Authorized medals may be worn on the dress coat. When worn, they shall be affixed in a horizontal line beneath the badge in the same relative position as when worn on the uniform shirt.
Exception: The Medal of Valor shall be suspended by the neck sash.1

637.40 DEPARTMENT RIBBONS. Ribbons representing authorized Department medals may be worn on the uniform in lieu of the respective medals.
They shall be centered above the left breast pocket below the badge extending toward the wearers left in descending order of precedence with the bottom row on the seam. (Ribbons worn on the dress coat and shall be worn directly below the badge.)

Four ribbons shall constitute a complete row. Precedence of rows shall be top to bottom. Additional rows shall also extend toward the wearers left in descending order of precedence. An incomplete row shall be the top row with its ribbons centered on the complete row(s) beneath.

When an employee receives the same award more than once, the second and subsequent awards shall be indicated by a bronze oakleaf cluster worn on the original ribbon. A silver oakleaf cluster will be worn in lieu of five bronze clusters.

Note: When Departmental ribbons are worn in conjunction with military ribbons and/or ribbons awarded by outside governmental agencies, the order of precedence is:

    United States Government awards.
    Foreign Government awards.
    State Government awards.
    Department awards.
    Other City Department awards.

Ribbons must also be worn in the correct order of precedence established by the awarding agency.

If necessary to provide sufficient space for ribbons, the badge may be adjusted upwards a maximum distance equal to the width of two rows of ribbons.

637.45 PATROL AND DETECTIVE SERVICE RIBBONS.

PATROL SERVICE RIBBON.  Police officers or supervisors with the rank of lieutenant and below who have served 5 years aggregate Department patrol service (duties that currently qualify for patrol incentive pay or past duties that qualify under current standards, based on Memorandum of Understanding No. 24, dated June 13, 2006) are eligible to wear a Patrol Service Ribbon.

Ribbon and devices (Bronze Oak Leaf, Silver Star, and Gold Star) shall be as follows:
5 years aggregate patrol service shall be denoted by a standard-sized solid blue ribbon.  No device is authorized;
10 years aggregate patrol service shall be denoted by a single 3/16-inch Bronze Oak Leaf cluster device placed  in the center of the ribbon;
15 years aggregate patrol service shall be denoted by a single 3/16-inch Silver Star device placed in the center  of the ribbon;
20 years aggregate patrol service shall be denoted by a single 5/16-inch Gold Star device placed in the center  of the ribbon;
Only one device may be worn; and,
The Patrol Service Ribbon may be requested retroactively.

DETECTIVE SERVICE RIBBON.  Detectives who have served 5 years aggregate service in an investigative assignment (duties that currently qualify for detective incentive pay or past duties that qualify under current standards, based on the current Memorandum of Understanding No. 24) are eligible to wear a Detective Service Ribbon.  Lieutenants who have served 5 years aggregate service as officers in charge and/or commanding officers of Area detectives and/or specialized investigative units and/or in combination of the ranks of detective and lieutenant, are eligible to wear a Detective Service Ribbon.

Ribbon and devices shall be as follows:

5 years aggregate investigative service shall be denoted by a standard-sized solid red ribbon. No device is authorized;
10 years aggregate investigative service shall be denoted by a single 3/16-inch Bronze Oak Leaf cluster device
 placed in the center of the ribbon;
15 years aggregate investigative service shall be denoted by a single 3/16-inch Silver Star device placed in the center of  the ribbon;
20 years aggregate investigative service shall be denoted by a single 5/16-inch Gold Star device placed in the center of the ribbon;
Only one device may be worn; and,
The Detective Service Ribbon may be requested retroactively.

PROCEDURE FOR AUTHORIZING EACH PATROL AND DETECTIVE SERVICE RIBBON.  Individual employees are responsible for requesting consideration for the Patrol and Detective Service Ribbons by completing an Employee?s Report, Form 15.07.00.  These Ribbons are not issued by the Department.  A Department supervisor shall review each request and verify eligibility via a Training Evaluation and Management System II (TEAMS II) and/or personnel file review.  The supervisor shall provide information regarding the employee?s eligibility on the same Employee?s Report and forward it to their commanding officer.  A copy of the approved Employee?s Report shall be placed in the employee?s divisional employee folder.

Note:  Sworn employees who are recalled to active military duty or who are assigned to other duty-related leave (e.g., injured on Duty status, etc.) shall continue to accrue credit towards patrol or investigative service time, so long as the employee was assigned to an eligible position at the time of the recall or absence.

The Patrol and Detective Service Ribbons shall be worn/displayed before the Reserve Officer Service

Ribbon in the descending order of precedence:

Patrol Service Ribbon; and,  Detective Service Ribbon.


#4-Commendation Ribbon
Bronze Star is for 80 Awards
Silver Star is for 120 Awards
Gold Star is for 160 Awards.
It was explained to me that to get this many additional Awards that one would need to be a Patrol Officer
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