First question about sheriffs: who invented the star-shaped badge?

Factual Questions
1

This is the first of three questions that I would like to ask about sheriffs, an office that has interested me since around the time I entered Grade One.

This will be a matter of trivia, but, does anyone know who invented the star-shaped badge, or who used it first? Googling around, I’ve found a few claims of certain American police departments using simple star-shaped badges far back in the19th century (at a time when they might not have had a proper uniform), apparently even made of leather or similar materials, but it isn’t clear who the first one was. Is this known?

And why stars, if known? Does it come from the stars on the US flag?

2

Will there be one about the airspeed velocity of an unladen sheriff?

3

https://www.laramiecountywy.gov/_officials/sheriff/BadgeHistory.aspx

Star shaped badges seem to go back much further than the US. But the 7-point star seems to have come out of SF.

4

From that link:

The seven–pointed star is worn over the left breast ostensibly implying that the star is meant to protect the most vulnerable part of the human body; the heart.

I’ve often wondered why 'twas a good idea to put a target over the heart.

5

Haven’t you seen all those westerns and cop shows where the bullet gets lodged in the badge, saving the hero? Badges are made from unobtainium. Mere bullets can’t cope. But the bad guys are too stupid to understand that, fortunately for all of us simple, honest, law-abiding citizens.

6

Moderator Note

Just a friendly reminder to hold off on these types of responses in FQ until after the question has been factually addressed.

Once the question has been answered factually, then you can begin the debate about African or European sheriffs.

7

Also, 7-point sheriff badges are far from universal, and might be more common out west.

In my county (Lake, Indiana) they use a 5-point star for the county sheriff badges. Cook County, Illinois, which includes the entire city of Chicago uses a 6-point star for their sheriff badges.