Fashion-conscious Feguson cops will have to do without the season's hottest piece, according to a letter to the city from the U.S. Department of Justice—which, among other things, asks officers to stop wearing "I Am Darren Wilson" bracelets while on-duty.

The Livestrong-style bracelets expressing solidarity with Michael Brown's killer came to the media's attention last week, after a photo was posted on the Instagram account MediaBlackOutUSA, and Missouri Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson confirmed that cops were wearing them shortly thereafter. From Reuters:

The letter said the bracelets had "upset and agitated" people and "reinforce the very 'us versus them' mentality that many residents of Ferguson believe exists."

The DOJ said it had been assured by officials with the county and state police, which have been brought in to help in Ferguson, that their officers would not wear them. Ferguson police could not be reached for comment on Friday evening.

A separate letter states that DOJ has observed Ferguson police officers not wearing name badges, Reuters reports, and asks that they begin regularly wearing them. According to the letter, going without a name plate "conveys a message to community members that, through anonymity, officers may seek to act with impunity."

Last week, in an apology to Brown's family, protesters, and the area's black community, Ferguson police chief Thomas Jackson said the city has "much work to do" in remedying the mistakes it has made and winning back its citizens' trust. If it took a federal government intervention to get cops to stop publicly celebrating Brown's killer, "much work" isn't the half of it.

[Image via Mediablackoutusa/Instagram]