The Phoenix Police Department
How Coins Can Build Teamwork: A Success Story
Officer Victor Rosado, a member of the Phoenix Police Department's Special Assignments Unit (SAU), was attending a training course in 2002 when a buddy from another department showed him his challenge coin. "The instant I saw the coin, I knew that we had to get one made for our team," Rosado said.
Since then, Officer Rosado has worked with NorthwestTerritorial Mint to make sure that every member of the Phoenix SAU gets a coin.
The instant I saw the coin, I knew that we had to get one made for our team.
- Officer Victor Rosado
"The coin is designed with our unit shield front and center so it's a lasting source of pride for the whole team," said Rosado. "We wear that symbol on our street and dress uniforms, as well as our tactical gear; it's a big part of who we are as a unit and now it's stamped into a coin we all carry," he said. In fact, it's become so popular that different versions of the coin in various metals and finishes are also now given out as keepsakes and gifts to family members, visiting officers, and VIPs.