LAPD Challenge Coins

Give Your Game a little Extra Personality

p>This motto, first adopted by the Police Academy, was officially taken by the Los Angeles Police Department in 1963 and has become unanimously associated with Law Enforcement across the country. Watching over one of the most population dense cities in the country, the LAPD has proven time and again what it takes to be an elite force of officers and has shown the world what true dedication can yield.

LAPD challenge coins are used to decorate those officers whose accomplishment and dedication have exceeded expectation and set the example of superior service. They are also used to honor squads and teams, building camaraderie and acknowledging both gratitude and acceptance of the individual, similar to the traditional military challenge coins prolific within our armed service members.

Here at Signature Coins, our 15 years of experience has taught us how to craft the highest quality police challenge coins and given us the opportunity to work alongside some of our nation's greatest heroes both in Law enforcement and in the US Armed Service. We specialize in creating unique challenge coins that can be used to pay respect and recognize the accomplishments of service men and women.

A Pioneer in Law Enforcement

The LAPD was the first department in the United States to appoint a female police officer to the force. They were also the first to train Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams, leading to a revolutionary method in dealing with armed criminal standoffs including hostage situations.

All of this and more is accomplished through strong ethics and a dedication upholding the laws of our country and the safety of its people. 

You can check out some of the police challenge coins we have made in the past in our coin gallery! If you already have an idea of what you want, follow one of the links below to create something lasting, something meaningful, that commemorates their service and dedication to Los Angeles! 

Doing More With Less

In 1985, the LAPD’s capacity for authorized sworn personnel had been reduced to 6,900 officers. In that same year, the city of Chicago had more the 12,000 sworn personnel and New York City was up to 28,700. Not only did Los Angeles have less sworn officers at their disposal, but they had more ground to cover as well. The cities of Chicago and New York are 228 and 301 square miles respectively. Los Angeles is 468 square miles! 

Since 1985, Los Angeles has taken the phrase doing more with less to heart! The city is consistently ranked as the second most populated city in the country, only beaten by New York, and with a force of 9,000 sworn officers and 3,000 civilian employees it has one of the lowest ratios of police officers to city residents out of all the major cities in the United States according to the LAPD website. Officers must show that much more valor and dedication in the line of duty to make their city safe. It requires the utmost dedication to protect and to serve and it remains a constant fight!

All this means that there is no force more deserving of acknowledgment and gratitude. These men and women work tirelessly to maintain order and keep the resident of Los Angeles safe. Police Challenge Coins are a perfect gift to honor the devotion and successes for officers fighting the constant pressures of protecting a city in which they are so outnumbered. 

History of the LAPD

Perhaps one of the finest examples of the accomplishments of the LAPD came in the year 1984 when the city played host for the Summer Olympics. Under the leadership of Police Chief  Daryl Gates, the LAPD worked around the clock to ensure the safety of both their city residents as well as the influx of world travelers, Olympians, and domestic spectators. Planning for the event started years prior and the days leading up to the summer games saw virtually every member of the force working in some way to aid in the Olympic effort. 

Traffic and patrol assignments were crucial for the influx of people into the city and the period of the actual games became known within the department as “the 16 days of summer”. Through their careful planning and relentless goal of perfection in security, the summer games ended without incident, and the department proved they were more than capable of dealing with the many hurdles including increased traffic flow, crowd control, and, most of all, preventing terrorist activity as the games were a high profile target. They did all of this on a tightened budget and with minimal staff!

Since then, the LAPD has worked tirelessly to set the example and prove to the world that they can provide the highest quality protection and service. Every officer in the LAPD is apart of a rich and diverse history, much more far-reaching than just the Summer Olympics of 1984. In recognition of their service, you can create a new piece of the department history in the form of LAPD challenge coins. Give them something that they will be proud to display and honored to hold in memoriam of the history of their department and as a reminder of what they are here to do! 

SWAT

The first official SWAT teams were organized and trained in Los Angeles under the program leadership of Daryl Gates and John Nelson. That pioneering group was made up of 15 four-man teams whose members were all volunteers from within the LAPD and many of whom had prior military experience. Today SWAT teams are deployed for barricade and/or hostage situations as well as suicide prevention. They are constantly in situations involving armed criminals and they must hold the safety of civilians as well as other officers as the utmost priority.

Special Weapons and Tactics teams are the last lines of defense when it comes to armed criminals on the domestic front. They have been responsible for saving countless lives and are heavily involved in the safety of our cities on a daily basis. These men and women deserve respect and honor for their service. Signature Coins has everything you could need to give them something meaningful that is both a symbol of honor and gratitude, as well as something that can be displayed with pride! Take a look at our SWAT challenge coins and get your team something they can cherish for years to come.  

What We Have To Offer

At Signature Coins, we have been working closely with all different branches of United States Law Enforcement, US Military, Fire Department, and Emergency Service Members for over 15 years. In our experience we have learned how to craft the best quality challenge coins and expedite the ordering process to get your coins in your hands as soon as possible, meeting deadlines. Our services include:

• Free Artwork and Quote
• Unlimited revisions
• Free UPS Air Shipping
• Mold and Set Up
• 14 Day Delivery on completed orders

There are no hidden fees or gimmicks. What you see here is what you can expect. We have done everything in our power to ensure that your coins are at the pinnacle of quality and that you have everything you need to get started with a completely custom order. 

Our experienced team of artists will have your first proof ready within 24 hours of your submitting a form. From there you can revise the design as much as you want. You can get started below by following one of the links! If you have some images ready or have a specific design in mind, feel free to include it! Even a picture on the back of a napkin helps!

Ready To Get Started?

When you are ready to proceed, use the convenient Order Form on our site to place your challenge coin order.