Dearborn Heights police faced swift national criticism after the department posted and then deleted a mock-up of a proposed uniform patch that displayed the department’s name in both Arabic and English.
The image, shared on the department’s social media last week and later removed, prompted a wave of online denunciations and false claims that the design signaled an effort to impose Sharia law in Michigan. Conservative personalities and elected officials posted inflammatory messages after the mock-up circulated widely on X and other platforms.
The department initially said the optional patch was created by an officer as a way to “celebrate the rich cultures that make our city unique.” As the backlash mounted, Mayor Bill Bazzi said the police department had “jumped the gun,” calling the image a prototype that should not have been made public. Bazzi said the patch effort was an internal discussion among some within the police department and was not put forward for consensus or formal review.
“At this time, this patch addition remains an idea and should NOT have been presented as an official prototype,” Bazzi said in a statement. The department removed the post as critics amplified the mock-up and several high-profile conservative voices posted remarks characterizing the action as evidence of a larger cultural shift. Republican Rep. Randy Fine posted on X, "They said their goal was to bring Sharia law to America. You should've believed them. Pray for Michigan." Right-wing commentator Laura Loomer wrote, "Muslims have invaded America and now they are taking over. They must be stopped," and conservative activist Charlie Kirk said the patch was evidence of cultural conquest.
Dearborn Heights, a community just east of Detroit, has a significant Middle Eastern and North African population; the latest census figures cited by local officials place that share at 39 percent. Neighboring Dearborn, home to the Islamic Center of America, the largest mosque in the United States, has been noted for a much larger Arab and Muslim population and was the subject of a controversial Wall Street Journal op-ed last year that called it the “Jihad Capital” of the country.
Police officials described the patch as optional and part of internal design discussions, not an official uniform change. City leaders and the police department have not announced any formal adoption process or next steps since the post was deleted.
The episode underscores how local decisions and internal discussions about cultural outreach can become national flashpoints in a polarized political environment, particularly in communities with large immigrant and Muslim populations. Officials in Dearborn Heights emphasized that the image’s publication was premature and reiterated that no official policy change had been approved.
As of Thursday, the department had not released a timetable for any formal review or public discussion of uniform patches, and city leaders said the matter remained an internal subject pending further consideration.