In the movies, officers often flash their law enforcement badges, and no one thinks twice. It is as if once people see a law enforcement badge, they are completely convinced of the legitimacy of the authority of the officer. This has always fascinated me. Badges for law enforcement give so much power. People never bother to verify whether or not a police badge is legitimate. If a cop showed me his badge, I wouldn’t even know how to question it. It is as if the police get their power not through their law enforcement training, but through the badge itself. It is the symbol that grants the power.