KANSAS CITY, Mo. — New uniforms are coming to the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department in the new year.
After 41 years of sporting French blue, the department is transitioning to navy blue.
The department said the new uniforms will be made of lighter, four-way stretch material, making the uniforms “more functional for officers to wear.”
Other new and improved features include UV protection, better breathability and the ability to repel fluid.
“Having worn our current French blue uniform and patch all of my career, I appreciate their place in our department’s history,” KCPD Chief Stacey Graves said in a news release. “This redesign will benefit officers individually and the department as a whole."
KCPD said 20 officers tested the uniform, and the response was “overwhelmingly positive.”
The change was spurred by the department learning there was no way to replicate the French blue uniform with modern-day technology, due to how the materials absorb the color, KCPD said.
In addition to the new uniforms, a new patch will be worn on both sleeves.
“The interior color is French blue, paying homage to the department’s past,” KCPD said in the release. “The new patch matches the new uniform’s look and preserves KCPD’s history of service to Kansas City.”
While the department said the uniforms will be debuted in January, a specific date has yet to be set.
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