Badge of the Service de police de Saint-Jérôme

Blazon

The shield of the Arms of the Ville de Saint-Jérôme (Azure a lion rampant holding a crozier Or, in chief on a chapé Argent a blue iris and a pine tree proper) within an annulus Azure edged and inscribed POLICE in letters Or, all within a wreath of maple leaves and birch leaves issuant from a blue iris, the whole ensigned by a mural crown, all Or and resting on a scroll Azure edged and inscribed SAINT-JÉRÔME in letters Or;

Symbolism

The arms of the city contain symbols honouring the history, the geography and the status of Saint-Jérôme. A lion holding an episcopal crosier, both gold, in centre of a blue shield, represents the city itself. This imagery refers to St. Jerome, the patron saint of the city, who was born in Dalmatia (presently Croatia) in 341 and died in Bethlehem in 420. The saint is reputed to have tamed a lion that became his faithful travel companion. He was also conferred the title of Doctor of the Church for having produced the Vulgate (the first integral translation of the Holy Scriptures into Latin). He is often represented holding the crosier of a cardinal and in the company of a lion. The lion also symbolizes the strength, courage and spirit of innovation that characterize the City of Saint-Jérôme as exemplified by its status of regional capital. The episcopal crosier further recalls the diocese whose bishopric and cathedral are situated in Saint-Jérôme. It also emphasizes the role of the church in the development of the city and especially that of curé Labelle who was dubbed King of the North. The arms of Saint-Jérôme further reflect the various territories to which the population belongs. The province of Quebec is here represented, in the upper left corner, by the wild iris or blue flag, the official provincial floral emblem since 5 November 1999. The Laurentian region is symbolized by a white pine in the upper right corner taken from the regional arms and recognizing that this tree was once the most abundant and still grows in the area. The dominant blue colour of the shield alludes to the water of the rivière du Nord that crosses the region and has provided its first resources. The gold colour of the lion can also refer to the light of summer, the purple of the iris to autumn, the green of the pine to spring and the white triangles in the upper shield to winter. The mural crown is a traditional symbol of municipal authority underlining the Police Service's responsibility to protect its citizens. The maple leaves refer to Canada, while the birch leaves and the blue iris are both symbols representing Quebec.