Collecting insignia from the Federal Bureau of Investigation since 1999.
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The Cincinnati, Ohio FBI SWAT patch was originally designed in the late 1980s by Special Agent Kevin Corr.  Corr was not a member of the team, but was known to be a collector of patches and was requested to create the patch by the team leader.  There were 50 of the original patches made.  49 of the 50 were designated for team use only, and Corr received one for his collection in appreciation for the design.  The team leader maintained extremely tight control over the patches, even going so far as to require team members to turn damaged patches in before agreeing to replace them.  For these reasons, the original version of this patch is one of the top three most highly sought-after FBI patches.

The original patches have a very bright, almost turquoise blue background which was problematic for the subdued uniforms. Many of the team members remedied these bright colors by soaking the patches in warm tea to stain the turquoise color and make it less flamboyant. 

In 2003, the team placed an order for new patches through Gman Emblem.  They also added a gray and black subdued variation for their uniforms.  Although not a stringently controlled as the original patches, the authorized remakes are still extremely difficult to obtain and are also sought feverishly by the collecting community. 

Source:  Special Agent Kevin Corr - FBI (Ret.) / Special Agent Wayne Alexander - FBI (Ret.) / Special Agent Kevin Horan - FBI Cincinnati SWAT