FACT CHECK: No, New Orleans Police Superintendent Did Not Mistakenly Wear Badge Upside Down

A viral post shared on X claims New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick mistakenly wore her badge upside down.

Is her badge upside down?

She already doesn’t instill confidence – if she doesn’t even know which way to wear her badge it seems worse, no? pic.twitter.com/sq7QSzG6kl

— Ryan Cleckner (@RyanCleckner) January 1, 2025

Verdict: False

A spokesperson for the New Orleans Police Department denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact. According to the department’s website, the superintendent’s badge is intentionally worn upside down.

Fact Check:

Kirkpatrick told fans who are hesitant to attend Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans following a New Year’s Day attack on Bourbon Street that “they should plan on coming,” according to Fox News. Shamsud-Din Jabbar has been identified as the alleged suspect who intentionally drove into a crowd of pedestrians and committed the attack, The Associated Press reported.

The X post, viewed over 100,000 times, claims Kirkpatrick mistakenly wore her badge upside down.

“Is her badge upside down? She already doesn’t instill confidence – if she doesn’t even know which way to wear her badge it seems worse, no?” the post reads. The post includes a photo of Kirkpatrick in uniform. In the photo, she is wearing her badge upside down.

The claim is false. According to the New Orleans Police Department’s website, the superintendent’s badge is intentionally worn upside down.

“Historically, the Superintendent of Police wore his badge upside-down (inverted) compared to the badges worn by the rest of the police force. This was originally begun during the late 1800s to make the Superintendent stand out among the rest of the police force. It is also symbolic in that the Superintendent alone carries the weight and power of the Police Department and has the responsibility to lead,” the website indicates.

Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Jan. 2, U.K.-based outlet Full Fact debunked the claim, reporting that the superintendent’s badge is intentionally worn upside down. (RELATED: Did the NYPD Name “Amelia Carter” As The Subway Fire Victim?)

Furthermore, a spokesperson for the New Orleans Police Department denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

“In response to this request, we can assure that this claim is inaccurate,” the same spokesperson said.