Why this officer thinks the "Soft" Uniform is Dangerous (Law Enforcement), do you agree?

2015-05-24T13:21:53-04:00

Just curious to see what others think.

http://www.lawofficer.com/articles/2015/05/why-the-soft-uniform-is-dangerous.html

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 24 at 2015 1:43 PM

2015-05-24T13:43:34-04:00

I suppose if we tell the bad guys to arm themselves only with revolvers and play nice then officers could go back to soft uniforms. Wearing the jump suits, tactical pants and polos or what ever serve a purpose.

Response by Capt Richard I P. made May 24 at 2015 1:45 PM

2015-05-24T13:45:53-04:00

1. Interesting (and some fair points) by this "man on the ground" (-Major Travis Yates- the 'man on the ground' means someone involved in the action more than me... it's usually good to put stock in him).
2. Cargo rip-stop pants don't have to be military looking.
3. Vests and gear can be made more low-profile, and the kit can match the operating environment.
4. Even those of us actually in the military dropped our armor whenever we could to establish rapport with locals.
5. It's a mindset: Just look at the tactical absurdity in the first photo I posted. As in the wire: "Maj. Howard 'Bunny' Colvin: [... ] This drug thing, this ain't police work. No, it ain't. I mean, I can send any fool with a badge and a gun up on them corners and jack a crew and grab vials. But policing? I mean, you call something a war and pretty soon everybody gonna be running around acting like warriors. They gonna be running around on a damn crusade, storming corners, slapping on cuffs, racking up body counts. And when you at war, you need a fucking enemy. And pretty soon, damn near everybody on every corner is your fucking enemy. And soon the neighborhood that you're supposed to be policing, that's just occupied territory. "
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA5za4VsskM

EDITed for clarity on point 1.

The Wire - This drug thing, this ain't police work.

In it, Howard Colvin (Western District Major) describes to a young police sergeant, the problem with Americas Drug war. In this reflection of modern day poli...

Response by SGT Charles Vernier made May 26 at 2015 10:19 AM

2015-05-26T10:19:40-04:00

I had no issue putting on a "traditional" looking uniform. It might not have been the most comfortable, but I was able to conduct my daily patrol duties in it. We had black BDUs that we could wear for certain activities. Tactical team members would make use of camouflage when necessary (e.g. hiking in to raid a meth lab), but it's wasn't a daily occurrence.

Response by SGT Kevin Brown made May 26 at 2015 1:08 PM

2015-05-26T13:08:38-04:00

From a tactical standpoint the soft uniform makes no sense. Though our LEOs should be easily distinguishable from our military, the use of hard equipment such as ballistic vests, AR platform rifles, Kevlars, MRAP SWAT response vehicles and the like have spawned from a necessity based on actual threat and their proven capabilities to meet said threats in real world examples (military conflicts). As a developer of tactical gear we focus on the individual and what best ensures their ability to complete their job as well as provide the best chances of that person returning safely home to their families. Today there is little difference in the threat to life of our military personnel overseas and our LEOs back home, though there is a difference in the amount of said threats in any generalized area in the United States. With bombs, large caliber ammunition and terrorist tactics being utilized by criminals in the United States, our officers must be afforded the ability to respond accordingly. Since our LEOs dont face the daily threat of IEDs or regular urban shoot outs, I don't think the MRAP and standard combat uniform need to replace standard squad cars and the every day patrol uniform, but such equipment needs to remain available in case of such incidents present themselves. That is why the mass majority of our police departments utilize a variety of tactical response units, SOPs and teams. SWAT shouldnt pull you over for speeding, nor should they be utilized for patrol in the first place, but they should be available to respond in full force if said speeding incident turns into an escalated situation that threatens the public, such as hostage situations, mass destruction attempts and/or terroristic activity.

Response by TSgt Joshua Copeland made May 26 at 2015 1:30 PM

2015-05-26T13:30:47-04:00

Dress for the threat you have, not the threat you want to have.