I’m not clear how the last paragraph of the article for this thread addresses whether the Sanford PD used military ribbons for their own awards or not.
You are alleging that the officer is a “faker”. Can you definitively provide a link that identifies the ribbons on her uniform are not authorized for the Sanford PD? THAT is the standard for her being a faker, not the fact that the ribbons are appropriated from military designs.
If (and only if) the Sanford PD appropriated the ribbon designs from the military and redesignated them as Sanford PD awards the wearing of the ribbons by this officer are appropriate - provided she is actually authorized to wear them (i.e.: she was given the Sanford PD award represented by each).
To refuse to wear an awarded ribbon is considered insubordination in the military - I would imagine that there is a similar stigma attached to it in police departments. To castigate the woman without knowing for certain that the ribbons do not represent valid Sanford PD awards is the same as insisting she be insubordinate.
However, the apparent fact that the Sanford PD went cheap and used military ribbons is deplorable, and is a worthy target for criticism and even ridicule.
But to castigate a police officer for following the rules as they are laid out by her superiors (again - barring definitive evidence that the ribbons are unauthorized) is ridiculous.
The State's witness was NOT ordered or forced to wear them by any regulation. She WANTED to wear them, perhaps to influence the jurors as to her credibility...and therefore she was a faker twice over.
The ribbons, many from WW2 seventy-some years ago, were NOT "appropriated from military designs"....they are GENUINE military service ribbons that somehow find their way to military surplus stores....perhaps the DOD cleaning out stockrooms.....or the surplus stores bought them from pawn shops. Old ribbons, medals and uniforms are often purchased for Halloween costumes, collections, etc.
But the CONTEXT in which this State's witness wore them is wrong....as evinced by the outrage of vets across the country when they saw her on TV.
The rest of your post is incorrect in so many aspects that I don't have the time or desire to parse it.
Needless to say, the Sanford PD has put an immediate stop to such misleading displays of U.S. military ribbons being worn on PD uniforms by some cops in its department.....and the Chief is taking steps to produce the department's own legitimate service awards in lieu of issuing 'stolen honor' ribbons bought second-hand at the Army-Navy surplus store.
Leni