LAW ENFORCEMENT HOBBY : CAMARILLO MAN COLLECTS POLICE INSIGNIAS.Byline: Michael Coit Daily News Staff Writer Colorful patches sewn sewn v. A past participle of sew. sewn Verb a past participle of sew Adj. 1. for law enforcement uniforms from Colusa County to Canada are as valuable to collector Brian Mixon as a Mickey Mantle Noun 1. Mickey Mantle - United States baseball player (1931-1997) Mickey Charles Mantle, Mantle rookie card Rookie Card is a relatively subjective term generally referring to an athlete's first appearance on a trading card made for collectible or informational purposes. Collectors value more greatly these first appearances which generally hold more value than later, subsequent card is to a baseball aficionado A Spanish word that means fan, devotee, enthusiast, etc. There are loyal aficionados of every subject in the computer field. . The budding law enforcement historian has collected cloth patches representing some 1,000 local, state and federal agencies since picking up the hobby six years ago. ``This is my relaxation,'' Mixon said. ``You come home, you get a patch or two in the mail and you sit back and put them in your collection. ``I've always loved law enforcement, so I made it my hobby.'' The 27-year-old Camarillo resident will among the featured collectors at Ventura County's first law enforcement insignia show, set for today at the Oxnard Civic Auditorium Civic Auditorium is a name commonly used for a city's auditorium and/or arena. Canada
More than 70 collectors are expected to display patches, badges, hats, pins, shirts, decals and a variety of historical artifacts artifacts see specimen artifacts. at the Oxnard show, said Tom Chronister, who is organizing the show sponsored by the Oxnard Peace Officers Association. ``It's overwhelming, really,'' Chronister said. ``We've got reservations from as far away as England and Canada.'' Mixon will bring a half-dozen framed displays. He is most proud of one featuring all 15 patches and badge patches issued by the Oxnard Police Department since the 1940s. Two framed displays feature patches from all 58 county sheriff's departments in California. ``It's something that's a rather intricate hobby,'' Mixon noted. Thumbing through a shoe box packed neatly with patches, Mixon eagerly pulls out some of his favorites. The police patch from Parachute, Colo., tops his list. The brightly colored blue and white patch is shaped like a parachute descending from the sky. Patches from police, sheriff's and even American Indian American Indian or Native American or Amerindian or indigenous American Any member of the various aboriginal peoples of the Western Hemisphere, with the exception of the Eskimos (Inuit) and the Aleuts. reservation law enforcement agencies in Arizona This is a list of law enforcement agencies in the state of Arizona. State agencies
``A lot of it is art because a lot of time and effort goes into these patches,'' Mixon explained. The value of patches, though, mostly is in the eye of the collector. Patches often are exchanged rather than sold, even when collectors find patches they desperately want. Mixon amassed his collection mostly by attending several annual shows in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, and subscribing to two trade magazines. When seeking a specific patch, Mixon often contacts law enforcement agencies A law enforcement agency (LEA) is a term used to describe any agency which enforces the law. This may be a local or state police, federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). to purchase surplus patches. Never wanting to miss an opportunity, Mixon said he even takes patches with him on vacations. ``That's kind of your money,'' he said. ``I always have something with me because there's usually somebody you bump into.'' The two most difficult patches to acquire completed Mixon's collection representing California sheriff's departments. The patches of Colusa and Mariposa counties culminated his three-year effort. Each patch can be a window to learn about agencies and areas they represent. ``When you listen to some of these old-timers talk, you learn a lot,'' he explained. ``It will always be a hobby of mine.'' THE FACTS WHAT: Ventura County Law Enforcement Insignia Show. The show benefits the K-9 Foundation and the Oxnard Police Activities League. WHERE: Oxnard Civic Auditorium, community center, 800 Hobson Way. WHEN: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today. COST: $3. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos Photo: (1--color) Brian Mixon's reflection is seen in aglass display case in which he exhibits patches from different sheriff's departments. (2) Brian Mixon of Camarillo has patches from nearly 1,000 local, state and federal police agencies. Michael Owen
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