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14 Law Enforcement Technology June 2014 www.officer.com EQUIPPING THE OFFICER matching it to the police shirt the department is wearing in both style and color," says Lerman. Today's uniforms also reflect differences in weight and breath- ability. Lerman says preferences differ by region and tempera- ture. "For Florida…a lighter (fabric) enhanced with anti-wetness would be more appropriate, while a heavier garment would be worn in Buffalo, except, of course, in summer," he says. Steve Robinson, CEO of Liberty Uniform Mfg. Co., Inc., agrees with Lerman and adds that, while today's uniforms are more reflective of the officer's needs, the mission for manufac- turers has never changed. "The critical factors remain the same: Does the uniform perform for the climate and the job function? Does it appear professional?" Robinson notes that to be fully functional, uniforms must also imbue the public with confidence in their local law enforce- ment agency. Command presence—a factor inherent to the officer's ability to do his job—builds on how the officer looks as well as the way officers conduct themselves. Diversity in uniforms When female officers first pinned on their badges, they weren't assigned to patrol or investigations. Many were little more than glorified secretaries or social workers. Those allowed more tradi- tional law enforcement roles were confined to work as crossing guards or juvenile officers. Early uniforms usually included skirts and, in the 50s and 60s, low heels. But the women's movement pushed for equality in the ranks and the 70s and 80s saw more women enter policing. They became criminal investigators, vice, and patrol officers. And they needed to dress in job-appropriate clothing. At first, most departments cut down men's uniforms to accommodate female officers. As a result, shirts tailored to fit women often gaped at the neck and the pants were oddly pro- portioned. Manufacturers saw the market there and began mak- ing uniforms designed expressly for the female body, right down to their toes. Rachel Heffington, merchandising manager at VF, which manufactures a number of brands including Horace Small, says today women continue to enter law enforcement occupations in even greater numbers, and that uniform companies now pro- duce entire lines to meet their needs. Horace Small introduced a female function fit a few years back to address the poor fit in the female uniform. "A lot of research and fit trials were performed... to make sure those uniforms met a woman's differing needs.," says Heffington. But women are only one segment of the law enforcement community that drives today's uniform material and design choices. "The industry is getting younger, and with this shift in demo- graphics comes an expectation of comfort and performance. These men and women are used to wearing garments that house tools, cellphones, documents, etc. The challenge is adding the features while maintaining a professional appearance," she says. More and more function Stephen Blauer, whose namesake company, Blauer, says another way uniforms are becoming more utility-oriented while main- taining their command presence is with the emphasis now placed on layering. "Soft body armor is another part of that layering system," he says. "I think the combination of the out- door industry changing to become (more oriented to) layering, coupled with the fact that cops are wearing armor just created some completely new needs." Change, says Blauer, isn't always that evident when it applies to police uniforms. It often comes in the form of technology. "When you look at a police uniform 20 years ago and today, they are pretty similar, but aren't anywhere the same." What really separates the two are the materials and functional- ity, as VF's Heffington noted. Blauer agrees and adds that police pants typically used to contain four pockets, but now those same uniform pants have six to 10 pockets designed to hold all of the To learn more, visit your local Smith & Warren dealer or visit www.SmithWarren.com Badges Insignia Medals Awards Collar Insignia Nameplates Challenge Coins Pins Accessories Contact@SmithWarren.com Ph: 914.948.4619 Fax: 914.948.1627 Design your badge online /smithandwarren @SmithnWarren YOU EARNED IT Fast Reliable Delivery Every style, Every finish Circle 92 on Reader Service Card A clip-on tie completed the look. [Fletcher] adds that there were no problems outftting female offcers at the time, because there were no female offcers in the department. LET_12-15_DressedOfficer0614.indd 14 5/20/14 1:42 PM