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www.officer.com AUGUST 2017 LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNOLOGY 35 What it Takes to Redesign Your Uniform Collaboration and patience (to start), here are 3 tips to get the right fit by Adrienne Zimmer uniforms ran deep and so changing to Navy Blue took time. It took time to decide what we wanted and so we started with a 20-person committee to begin the conversation between staff, line officers and vendors," he says. The benefit of the committee includes the representation of many voices in the police department, but the key is to keep the committee small, says Sheriff 's Deputy Bill Dandoy with the Jefferson County Sheriff 's Office in Jefferson, Wis. "Pick someone to represent you during the shift," he says. "One person per shift, a sergeant and an administrative team member, otherwise there will be too many voices." He also urges the chief to set parameters for the meetings to they run smoothly and with better focus. 2 Determine needs and wants White recommends sending a survey out to the department to see what offi- cers want in a uniform. "Some officers wanted large cargo pockets and a certain look," he says. "With so many options available now, there were plenty of fac- tors to take into consideration." Dandoy agrees. "The uniform market has changed drastically over the years," he says. "Not only are there plenty of styles and choice, there is utility all while keeping the professional law enforce- ment look." The Jefferson County Sheriff 's Office used a uniform provider for the process and had its officers test each uniform for comfort, ease of clean- ing, staining issues and more. They also tested the uniforms for overall function- ality and style. "We tested a shirt that U NIF O R M S A N D B O D Y A R M O R Y ears ago, chiefs of police could select a uniform for the entire department in a decision that could take less than a day, says Captain Brian White of the Wichita (Kan.) Police Department. Now, that's no longer the case. Today this process takes many voices, multiple options, and plenty of time and patience to get the right fit. Here are three tips from two departments that recently made a uniform switch. 1 Start with a committee In 2017, the Wichita Police Department made a drastic switch to a Navy Blue color, forgoing a 90-year tradition of tan uniforms. The entire process took the department one year, says White. "The history of our tan Wichita PD showcases its new Navy Blue uniforms.