Into the Blue : Huntington Beach Police Lose Khaki, Win Uniform Honors

I am a man of somewhat retiring, and I might even say refined, tastes, and there is nothing more unaesthetic than a policeman. --Thaddeus Sholto to Sherlock Holmes in “The Sign of the Four”

Oh yeah, Sholto? Spread ‘em and listen up.

The Huntington Beach Police Department is very concerned with aesthetics, so much so that last year its officers voted by more than 2 to 1 to cast off the khakis they had worn for decades and replace them with more stylish navy blue uniforms.

They spent so much effort making sure the uniforms were just right that they wound up with different styles for patrol officers, motorcycle officers, staff officers, beach officers, canine officers, helicopter officers and SWAT officers, plus a uniform for formal wear--nine uniform styles in all. And that doesn’t include the uniforms for civilian employees, such as cadets and dispatchers.

The long-range result may be an enhanced image of the Police Department, said Police Chief G.L. Payne. “I’m big on image. It builds confidence in people’s minds.”

But the short-term result has been a plaque from the National Assn. of Uniform Manufacturers & Distributors proclaiming Huntington Beach police among the nation’s best dressed officers in 1988.

According to an association press release, “The 302 entries are evaluated on the basis of image projection, ease of identification, reflection of the department’s authority and professionalism, practicality for police work, protection from the weather and physical attack and implementation of policies ensuring appearance standards and regular inspection.”

Huntington Beach, with 209 sworn officers, won an honorable mention, as did 80 other law enforcement agencies nationwide. (The grand national award went to the Stafford Township Police Department based in Manahawkin, N.J., which has 37 sworn officers patrolling a

rural section up the coast from Atlantic City.)

The award “reflects the pride our officers feel,” said Lt. Patrick Gildea, an administrative officer. “Most of our cops wear spit-shined shoes, not plastic ones. The uniforms are neatly tailored. They just generally keep themselves sharp.”

And while this may be a good public relations move, the uniform may have more significance to the officer than to the public. Capt. D.L. Jenkins, commander of the uniform division, usually wears a business suit, “but I put my uniform on now and then just to let everyone know I’m still a cop. I miss wearing a uniform. It means you’re out there doing the work instead of in here fighting the battle of the budget.”

The new uniforms, which have been worn since last December, are hardly a radical departure from traditional uniform design. They are, in fact, a return to more traditional uniforms, said Officer Gil Coerper, president of the Huntington Beach Police Officers Assn.

He said his membership voted to change to blue uniforms “because we’d look more like most other city police agencies. They talk about police as ‘the men in blue,’ not ‘the men in khaki.’ And it’s fair to say that you feel more like a cop.’ ”

“They’re basic uniforms,” said Jim Molina, general manager of Louis the Taylor Uniforms in Montebello, the firm that provided the new look in Huntington Beach. “We put different stripes on them, that type of thing. The dress uniforms for the chief and his captains and lieutenants, those are custom made.”

Molina said Huntington Beach officers, like others in Southern California, seem particularly concerned about the cut of their uniforms.

“Most are tailored to the body of the individual,” Molina said. “They’re quite concerned that they fit properly, so we do a lot of tailoring. They’re all conscious about their build and everything. They want to look good. A lot of personal attention goes into altering for them.”

Molina said that the nice details of the Huntington Beach uniforms may not be apparent at first glance. “I think in their case they won the award for the diversity of the uniforms.”

Officers who patrol the city beaches in the daytime wear white, short-sleeved shirts and blue shorts. In the evening, they switch to a warmer jumpsuit.

Canine officers, the ones in charge of police dogs, wear a lighter-weight jumpsuit, since a regular uniform would soon be covered with dog hair and be torn from following his dog on searches for suspects.

Helicopter pilots also wear jumpsuits, but quite expensive ones (around $200 each) made of flame-retardant Nomex. Because of the expense, it will be awhile before the tan jumpsuits are replaced by blue ones.

SWAT uniforms are flame-retardant as well and have camouflage patterns in tones of urban gray. Subdued police patches are sewn to the shoulders, and there are pockets almost everywhere.

Patrol and motorcycle officers have their own versions of the traditional uniform, plus a dress uniform for formal occasions. Staff officers from chief to lieutenant wear a more military-looking uniform with epaulets on the shoulders and gold braid on the brim of the hat.

And as part of the redesign of the uniform, the department’s badge was changed. The bird of prey that crowned the old badge has been replaced by blindfolded Justice, holding her sword and scales.

Gildea said the change to blue uniforms did not cost the department any extra money. Even though one pair of reinforced pants for a motorcycle uniform costs $120 and a shirt for a patrol officer costs $50, the expense was covered by the $500-a-year uniform allowance the department allocates each officer. Expensive items, such as helicopter and SWAT jumpsuits and motorcycle helmets, are provided by the department.

Though the change in color may seem trivial to outsiders, “it’s important to the departments,” said Jackie Rosselli, director of public relations for the uniform association in New York. “Colors vary from region to region. In New York and L.A., it’s navy blue, but in Minnesota it’s maroon. In Indiana they have rusty colors. It’s reflective of their environment.”

But a dark, dark blue is just fine for Huntington Beach, Coerper said. “I like these uniforms very well. People tell me it makes me look thinner.”