Police Uniforms Part II

With shows such as CSI, Chicago PD and reruns of NYPD Blue it is easy to assume there is a ubiquitous police uniform across the United States. Since the early 20^th century, police uniforms have to an extent “uniformly” evolved with navy colored slacks and jackets, light blue or white shirts and peaked hats. However, there has been experimentation and is some variation.
First, there are some practical reasons why uniforms have been designed as they have. It is easier to fit weapons such as guns and nightsticks under looser fitting clothing so jackets have been tailored to accommodate this. In the 30’s, a Sam Brown belt that goes around the waste and shoulder was sometimes used to hold weapons so the jacket needed to be tighter fitting. However, police today usually have guns in holsters inside the jacket or on the pants so jackets are neither baggy nor snug.
There are also different types of uniforms. Class A are typically worn by police who have desk jobs or while they are not on the beat. Used for ceremonial purposes as well, they are dressier than class B that is worn on patrol. These are made for comfort so that officers can respond and move quickly. They often have military influences such as side pockets you find on khakis that can be used for stashing supplies.  Some forces actually use khaki colored uniforms for street assignments. Also, sometimes baseball types of hats are worn instead.
There have been attempts over time, especially in the late 1960’s and 70’s, to radically change the look of the uniform and make it appear less authoritarian however in most instances that was a short lived experiment. In these cases, the uniforms were made to look more like civilian dress, opting for lighter colors and a less militaristic fashion.
While navy is the norm, some police departments try to add some flare. The Pittsburgh police force hats have a black and yellow-checkered band. The North American Association of Uniforms, Manufacturers and Distributors has given annual best dressed awards to police departments throughout the United States since 1977. Different awards are given out based on the size of the force and uniform class. Click here to view the 2014 award winners.