Police memorabilia collecting is a hobby involving the collection and trading of law enforcement related patchesor badges, and other memorabilia including bobby helmets, training manuals, police medals, and historic artifacts such as turn-of-the-century screw-based handcuffs and police-box globes.

Another patch collecting specialty is various police agencies such as sheriff, police, highway patrol, marshal, constable, park rangers, law enforcement explorer scouts, or other law enforcement related personnel. Emblems worn on uniforms have been exchanged between officials as a sign of cooperation for decades, and displays of patches are frequently found in police stations. The publishing of reference books on law enforcement insignia over the past decade has made law enforcement patch collecting a popular way to preserve law enforcement history.

Many agencies nationwide sell their patches, for around $5, some being for a new police cruiser or for charity. Google: "How to purchase a police patch" for a list of agencies

There are several publications tailored for those who pursue police patch collecting:

• Police Collectors News, Baldwin, Wisconsin, first printed in 1986, monthly
• Police Insignia Collectors Association Magazine (begun in 1974), monthly
• The Encyclopedia of Federal Law Enforcement Patches Raymond Sherrard (2000)
• Sheriff's insignia of the United StatesJames V. Claflin (1997)
• The California Patch Book Randall Grago (1996)

• PATCH, FBI/CIA/DEA
• PATCH, FIREFIGHTER
• PATCH, POLICE & K9 (2)