Dress Matters

David CouperNovember 10, 2021November 10, 2021Uncategorized

A pressing question facing both police and the communities they serve is how did police move so quickly from this —

To this?

And what are the ramifications and unintended consequences of doing so?

I might add that the “presentation of self;” how we dress — is how we see ourselves and how we want to be seen by others matters and matters greatly if communities, especially communities of color are ever going to trust and support those who police their neighborhoods.

So, if police wish to be viewed as “guardians” rather than “warriors” in their daily, routine work, how might they dress in order to make their role of guardian be understood and accepted by those policed?

Quite frankly, as a retired police officer, I find the present uniform conglomeration of most police agencies to be highly offensive and counter to their role protecting and serving. It’s time to keep the hardware in reserve. Every call should not require such armament.

Published by David Couper

I served over 20 years as the chief of police in Madison (WI), four years as chief of the Burnsville (MN) Police Department, and before that as a police officer in Edina (MN) and the City of Minneapolis. I hold graduate degrees from the University of Minnesota and Edgewood College in Madison. I have written many articles over my years as a police leader. After retiring from the police department, I answered a call to ministry, attended seminary, and was ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church. After 25 years leading two Episcopal Churches in Portage and North Lake, Wisconsin, I now serve as Associate Pastor in a growing, dynamic, and Spirit-filled Lutheran congregation in nearby Mazomanie. View all posts by David Couper

5 Comments

Karl Bickel says:

November 10, 2021 at 11:12 am

I tried to address this some years back. See the attached piece from the COPS Office Community Policing Dispatchâ

Karl

Karl W. Bickel

(301) 639-9665

KarlBickel@comcast.net

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solarp2016 says:

November 10, 2021 at 11:15 am

I most definitely agree with you on this one David. It’s not often that I do.

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1. improvingpolice says:
  
  November 16, 2021 at 7:25 am
  
  Nice to know. Perhaps the beginning of dialogue. So infrequent nowadays.
  
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Gunther says:

November 10, 2021 at 11:21 pm

I miss the old days when the cops just carry a gun, baton, and wore a white shirt, and an eight-point that you see on the movie It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad world

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Gunther says:

November 14, 2021 at 11:04 pm

Yeah, I miss the old days when many police officers wore a white shirt, the hat that is shown in the above picture, a baton, and a gun or when they wore the LAPD Adam 12 police uniforms. It makes the cops less threatening. Nowadays, you can’t tell the difference between a cop and a member of the armed forces when both of them wear combat gear.

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