system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How do people get a Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) badge to put by their vehicle's license plate? Do these badges afford preferential treatment?

Does one have to donate money to the FOP to get a badge? Or is it just a badge of support? Or are people who display the badge actual members of the FOP? Do people who display these badges get special treatment, and if so, is that ethical?
gpt
For the same reason that people put any sort of "I support the police" bumper sticker, license plate frames, badges, etc...

They don't necessarily automatically earn you preferential treatment, and the police certainly don't condone any sort of official policy of preferential treatment, but police officers are human beings just like anyone else, and they will obviously be swayed about their opinion of you if you have pro-police paraphernalia displayed.