Mo. Police Force Changes Uniforms for 1st Time in 41 Years to Keep Up with 'Modern-Day Technology'
What to know
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The Kansas City Police Department will transition to new navy blue uniforms in January, citing improved safety and functionality through modern materials and design.
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The redesigned uniforms feature lighter, four-way stretch, breathable and fluid-repellent fabric with UV protection, and they were tested by 20 officers with overwhelmingly positive feedback.
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The department is moving away from its traditional French blue uniforms worn since 1984 because of material limitations, while incorporating a new shoulder patch honoring the department’s history.
The Kansas City Police Department announced it will roll out new uniforms next year, which will come with a color change and improve functionality, according to a news release.
Officers will begin wearing navy blue uniforms made of “modern-day materials and technology,” making them more functional and safer, the news release said.
The uniforms are made of a lighter, four-way stretch material that breathes better and is fluid repellant. They also provide UV protection, the department said.
According to the news release, 20 officers, men and women, tested the new uniform and their response was “overwhelmingly positive.”
Since 1984, KCPD officers have worn a lighter “French blue” uniform. Officers could be identified by their light blue tops and darker, navy blue bottoms.
The French blues were custom-made for KCPD and are now less available, according to the news release.
“After extensive research, the department learned that it was not possible to replicate the department’s current French blue uniform using modern-day technology due to the way the materials absorb the color,” the news release said.
The department’s new uniforms will be composed of solid navy blue tops and bottoms. Each uniform will feature a new patch on both sleeves that pay homage to the department’s past.
The patch displays the words “Kansas City Police” surrounding the Missouri state seal. The interior color is French blue and the year 1874, when KCPD was founded, is at the bottom.
“Having worn our current French blue uniform and patch all of my career, I appreciate their place in our department’s history,” Chief Stacey Graves said in the news release. “This redesign will benefit officers individually and the department as a whole.”
The specific date of the uniform change in January is to be determined.
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