Answer Man Should Get a Sleuthing Ribbon

Every time I see D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier on TV, or her picture in The Post, I wonder what those ribbons she wears on the right side of her uniform represent. Military personnel usually wear their ribbons on the left side, but I don't think Lanier was ever in the military. What's the answer, Answer Man?

-- Bob Westgate, Washington

Humans have a fondness for recognizing certain qualities, whether they be valor, bravery or intellectual accomplishment. Think about the gold Phi Beta Kappa pin or the red rosette of France's Legion d'honneur.

"Major police departments -- New York, Chicago, Washington -- they have very robust awards or recognition-type programs," said Charles Mugno, head of the Army's Institute of Heraldry.

The ribbons that adorn Chief Cathy L. Lanier's dress uniform are from her service as a D.C. police officer.

The District's police awards tend to be either for specific, commendable actions or for involvement in some large event in which the officer participated. Three of the chief's ribbons -- a red and white one, a green and white one, and a green and brown one with yellow stripes -- are for, respectively: meritorious service, achievement and commendation.

"They're earned," said Capt. Ralph Ennis, the chief's assistant. "Somebody specifically puts you in for it."

Ennis said some of these ribbons come from earlier jobs Lanier held, such as when she was commander of the 4th Police District and when she worked in the Special Operations Division.

Other ribbons are for taking part in special events. A black ribbon is for working a state funeral. A rainbow-style ribbon is for working an International Monetary Fund meeting. Another multi-colored one is from working over Y2K. (Remember that?) A blue ribbon with two white stripes is from a NATO meeting in the 1990s.

A yellow ribbon that peeks out from under a lapel is for "All Hands on Deck," when the force is mobilized in a crime-awareness effort. A half blue/half yellow ribbon is for homeland defense. That's not to be confused with the baby blue ribbon with yellow on the ends, an older award that used to be given to officers in the district experiencing the highest crime reduction. A red and green ribbon is a customized community policing award.

One ribbon a lot of officers can expect to get soon looks like an American flag. It's for working a presidential inauguration.