New York City Cops Can't Own NYPD Merchandise

The NYPD logo is emblazoned on everything from hats and shirts to tie clips and coffee mugs, but all those items are now off limits to New York City cops, reports Murray Weiss at DNA Info. Police chief Ray Kelly has issued a new rule forbidding the city's 35,000 cops from owning any merchandise with the logo—the only exception being their uniform. The reason? Sources say Kelly made the move after seeing an officer wearing an NYPD T-shirt bearing the phrase, "Kill Them All and Let God Sort It Out."

The official rule states that it's forbidden to wear "any item of apparel which contains a Department logo or shield, or in any way identifies its wearer with the New York City Police Department unless approved by the Uniform and Equipment Review Committee, prior to being worn by a member of the service, uniformed or civilian, on or off-duty." Or as one cop carps, “The NYPD logo is now on a par with al-Qaeda and bin Laden. We can’t display them.” Read the full story here. (More NYPD stories.)