D.E.S. - Narcs or Holy Warriors of Might and Justice?

D.E.S. stands for "Drug Enforcement Section" which is part of the O.P.P.'s Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau. It's the lead agency in charge of drug enforcement in Ontario and judging from it's insignia, it thinks pretty highly of itself.

Start with the sword in the middle. Traditionally, swords represent the following: prestige, state power, warfare, righteousness, honour, justice, masculinity, courage, aggression, and virtue. Plus it's a phallus. Back in the Middle Ages, the sword represented the word of God, but I sincerely hope that's not what the O.P.P. is going for here.

Then you have the scales of justice, which are self-explanatory: they mean that the D.E.S. balances both sides fairly. The scales are normally held by Lady Justice (a.k.a.the personification of judicial morality) but even alone we all know they represent fairness and justice. The weird thing is, cops are not judges and so it is not their job to weigh the merits of a case. Even after a cop brings in a case, the Crown Attorney would still have the discretion to decide whether or not to proceed with prosecution even before a judge would have to consider the issue, so there is no need for cops to have a finely-tuned sense of right and wrong (but I suppose it wouldn't hurt if they did). More than anything, I believe the scales are meant to indicate that the D.E.S.operates without bias, corruption, prejudice, or favour

Next, consider the lettering. The D.E.S. uses an intimidating combination of big, black, and bold with gray outlines of each letter for EXTRA EMPHASIS. You can't use that combination then complain that it's hard to reach your female hiring quotas. Why not try some classic Helvetica with a soft cerulean twinge to attract some hipsters? They know where the pot is.

Behind everything is a pair of wings. Generally, wings like these belong to an eagle, which is a sufficiently prestigious symbol by itself; eagle wings portend strength, courage, farsightedness, and immortality and eagles themselves are affiliated with Zeus. Heraldry eagles of the sort used by the D.E.S. symbolize courage, action, and judiciousness, and when they are spread as in the above insignia that signifies the role of protector. I assume that's what the D.E.S. was going for, but even if the wings are just regular-type wings, that still represents mobility, speed, protection, justice, and man's desire to soar unencumbered by earthly limitations.

In conclusion, the D.E.S. portrays itself as transcendent justice protecting us through masculine virtue while never giving in to bias. Keep in mind these are the cool kids who run D.A.R.E. in Ontario.