April 09, 2012

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NM police chief urges uniform color change

Report says lighter-colored uniforms result in fewer complaints about police

By Vic Vela
Albuquerque Journal

A kinder, gentler uniform may soon be coming to a Santa Fe police officer near you.

Santa Fe Police Chief Ray Rael wants to transition patrol officers' dark-colored uniforms to a lighter shade of blue. Meanwhile, officers' patrol cars are going the opposite direction - back to black.

Rael, as part of a report on the police department that will be presented at an upcoming meeting of the City Council's Finance Committee, cites "psychological research" that points to lighter-colored police shirts increasing "officer approachability," while decreasing "negative emotions and feelings associated with dark colors."

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Rael said the research indicates that lighter-colored uniforms result in fewer complaints about police.

Also, lighter uniform shades look more "professional," and can result in "a marked effect on officer's attitude and professional demeanor."

It also "distinguishes officers from other service-related fields," such as auto mechanics and security guards.

Right now, Rael and other commanding officers at the department sport the lighter shades while the lower ranks wear the near-black police blues.

The move to getting all officers wearing lighter-colored duds will depend on whether the department gets appropriate federal funding that can be used for that purpose.

Is vanity a factor? Rael was asked whether the new uniforms would give a slimmer look to certain middle-aged bodies.

"To be honest, I probably need all the help I can get in that regard," Rael joked.

His report indicates that another color-scheme change for the police department is also on the way.

City police cars, which for years have been white with red and blue lettering and decals, are being transitioned to more classic black-andwhite units, as new patrol cars are purchased for the department.

That means higher visibility, and the black-and-white police units stand out more from other cars and serve as more of a "deterrent," according to the chief's write-up.

There will be no increase in costs for paint jobs and there actually should be reduced costs because fewer decals will be needed on the blackand-whites, the report said.

Santa Fe Police Officers' Association President Adam Gallegos said the union believes the Santa Fe Police Department has better things to worry about than colors.

"We need to concentrate on coming up with a comprehensive plan to fight crime, not changing uniforms or painting cars," he said. "On a scale of one to 10, that's about a 0.5."

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