Police Patches

Our Current Patch

Our Old Patch

The Fitchburg Police Department Patch contains the City of Fitchburg seal. The seal was designed and created by a Fitchburg 4-H group. The oak leaves around the outer ring is for the oak savannas that were found in Fitchburg. The fish are a reference to the Nevin State Fish Hatchery, which was the first fish hatchery established in Wisconsin. The clasped hands in the center of the seal represent the spirit of cooperation between the agricultural part of Fitchburg and the commercial/residential areas. The yin yang design represents how these elements of Fitchburg come together to create a whole community.

The Township of Fitchburg Police Officers wore a patch which depicted the historical observatory. In 1959 the University of Wisconsin had planned to tear down the observatory which was built in 1879 and sat on the shores of Lake Mendota. On August 13, 1959 Governor Gaylord Nelson signed into law the bill authorizing the U.W. Regents to transfer the observatory to the Madison Astronomical Society. At that time Dr. Johan Bjorksten who was interested in astronomy and owned the property which is now Fitchburg Center, provided the hilltop location for this structure. Oscar Mayer Sr, an avid amateur astronomer, provided the society with a Steinheil 4 ½ inch telescope on a mount with a motor drive for the observatory at its new site. Because of his contributions the society felt it appropriate to honor him and thus named the student observatory became the Oscar Mayer Observatory. In the 1960's soon after the building was moved to Fitchburg, the then township recognized the significance of having the classic little structure in their midst by literally wearing their feelings on their sleeves. The Fitchburg police department uniform patches at that time depicted a representation of an observatory on our sleeves of our shirts.

Excerpts from "Oscar Mayer Observatory has a Stellar Past" a Fitchburg Star feature story by Patricia Delker, 2/1/01"