Police Uniform Research Articles

What are the most important components of a police uniform? Qualitative insight from a sample of Canadians

ABSTRACT Uniforms are an important element of policing. Manipulations to police uniforms, including via the addition, removal and/or alteration of equipment, can impact public perceptions of officers. As part of the present research, we sought to qualitatively assess how the public interpret police uniforms. We asked a large sample of Canadians (N = 1,997) to freeform describe what they believed to be the most important components of a police uniform. Using a detailed codebook, we then coded participants’ responses to identify patterns. Among the themes identified, participants most frequently referenced equipment and presentation as well as institutional recognition as the most important components of a police uniform. Participants also frequently referenced the functionality of the uniform as well as its image. We discuss our results in the context of policing research and practice.

In the eye of the powerholder: examining the relationship between uniform and accoutrement combinations and police self-legitimacy

ABSTRACT Scholars and police organizations argue that when police officers don a uniform, they imbue a certificate of legitimacy. In our study of 238 police officers, we test the assumption that the police uniform impacts officers’ beliefs about their own legitimacy, and, in turn, their projected behavior when in uniform. We find that, when comparing across various combinations of uniforms and accoutrements, officers in our study tended to prefer their standard uniform as a legitimating device. Moreover, we find that the legitimacy attributed to the standard uniform can impact officers’ willingness to engage in certain behaviors when in uniform, at least for the female officers in our sample. This research supports the important role of officer appearance in shaping police perceptions and behaviors, complementing existing research that examines citizens’ perceptions of police uniforms and accoutrements.

‘Wait! Don’t touch me!’: Police uniforms, family anxiety, and rituals of purification in the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Emblematic power is entrenched in the uniform and bodily image of the police. The COVID-19 pandemic has afforded a new layer of understandings of ‘dirty work’ with police officers, and has shown how the police uniform is perceived to be an involuntary vehicle for physical contamination and symbolic taint. This article is based on interviews with 18 police officers from 11 UK police forces over the summer of 2020 and explores how the COVID-19 pandemic caused increased fear and anxiety about virus contraction, particularly when officers were not prioritised for testing and vaccinations at the time. The possibility of transmitting COVID-19 to family members motivated officers to treat their uniforms differently, and they undertook purification rituals to mitigate violations of the physical and symbolic space around the body. Fear and anxiety of ‘the unknown’ is a motivator for discussions about long-term effects of officer well-being, and the significance of learning to prepare for future pandemics.

Technological Structure of a Single Police Uniform

Technological Structure of a Single Police Uniform

Review on Police Uniform Perception

Review on Police Uniform Perception

Students Wearing Police Uniforms Exhibit Biased Attention toward Individuals Wearing Hoodies.

Police provide an essential public service and they often operate in difficult circumstances, requiring high-speed cognition. Recent incidents involving apparent profiling and aggressive behavior have led to accusations that the police are sometimes biased. Given that previous research has shown a link between clothing and cognition, we investigated the question of whether the police uniform itself might induce a bias in social attention. To address this question, and using a Canadian university student sample, we assessed whether wearing a police uniform biases attention toward black faces compared to white faces, and low-status individuals compared to high-status individuals. In Experiment 1 (n = 28), participants wore either a police-style uniform or mechanic overalls, and performed a shape categorization task in the presence of a distractor that could be either: a black face, a white face, a person wearing a hoodie (whom we propose will be associated with low SES), or a person wearing a suit (whom we propose will be associated with high SES). Participants wearing the police-style uniform exhibited biased attention, indexed by slower reaction times (RTs), in the presence of low-SES images. In Experiment 2 (n = 28), we confirmed this bias using a modified Dot-Probe task – an alternate measure of attentional bias in which we observed faster RTs to a dot probe that was spatially aligned with a low SES image. Experiment 3 (n = 56) demonstrated that attentional bias toward low-SES targets appears only when participants wear the police-style uniform, and not when they are simply exposed to it – by having it placed on the desk in front of them. Our results demonstrate that wearing a police-style uniform biases attention toward low-SES targets. Thus, wearing a police-style uniform may induce a kind of “status-profiling” in which individuals from low-status groups become salient and capture attention. We note that our results are limited to university students and that it will be important to extend them to members of the community and law-enforcement officers. We discuss how uniforms might exert their effects on cognition by virtue of the power and cultural associations they evoke in the wearer.

조선총독부 경찰복제도 연구

The purpose of this study is to reveal the process of enactment and revision, the contents of the police uniform system by the Government-General of Joseon, and to examine the relationship be-tween the uniform system and the ruling policies of Imperialist Japan. The research methodology in-volved document research of official gazettes that published legislation on the police uniform system. Political background was referenced from various preceding studies. The research results are as follows. The Japanese invasion of Korea, in regards to the police, appeared as infiltrations through the three routes of consular police, temporary military police, and inside the Korean police. Each or-ganization had different uniform systems, and after the installation of the Japanese police in 1907, the uniform system of high level officers of the Korea police was changed to the Japanese-style. After the installation of the Government-General of Joseon in 1910, a police uniform system was not enact-ed until 1918, with the exception being made for police officers due to the military police system. The ‘Police Officer Uniform System of the Government-General of Joseon’ enacted in 1918 stood out for its golden insignia on solidly colored fabric, which effectively indicated rank, as well as the Japanese flag pattern and the cherry blossom pattern, which symbolized imperialist Japan, on the cap badge and insignia. The 1918 uniform system had many differences from the Japanese system of the time in terms of design, perhaps due to the political autonomy of the governor-general. The 1918 uniform system was completely revised in 1932. This uniform system was modified in various ways. The system was almost identical to the Japanese system at that time. This is the result of Japan’s in-tent to dominate Korea, which involved assimilating Korea into Japan with the purpose of conducting a full-fledged invasion of the continent after the Manchurian Incident.Key words: regulations of police uniforms( ), the Government-General of Joseon( ), the ruling policies of Imperialist Japan( ), uniforms()

A Study on the Police Uniform System in the Latter Period of the Meiji - Era in Japan

The aim of this study was to examine the process of organizing the police uniform system in the latter period of the Meiji era in Japan, and explain the characteristics of the costume system based on literary research focusing on laws and regulations. Through an examination of each and every costume system, it was found that in 1890, the Japanese police uniform was given a more “glamorous” appearance than the previous uniform, and that the roles of patterns of the national flag of Japan were expanded to indicate grades. The types of costume were increased due to the organization of a formal wear system, and a method of manufacturing costumes and insignia was defined based on specific regulations on uniforms. In the case of the police uniform in 1896, the formal uniform was distinguished from ordinary clothes to organize the formal wear system and introduce functional design to jackets and hats. In addition, regulations on the uniform were systematized on the strength of the addition of an auxiliary costume and the suggestion of a method of production and size. In terms of police uniforms in 1908, those worn by police officials in the Japanese Policy Agency and policemen had unity in terms of laws and regulations and design, and their design became simplified as a whole. Mark-based indication of grades changed into pattern-based indication of grades, and cherry blossom patterns reappeared. The laws and regulations that aimed to define uniforms were more systematized, and they were maintained until their comprehensive modification in 1946. The police uniform system that had been organized to some extent in the first part of the Meiji era was restructured and modified to suit the police of that time, and a modern police uniform system was derived in the latter half of the Meiji era.

No Hat or Tie Required: Examining Minor Changes to the Police Uniform

This study examined the influence of a police uniform necktie and hat on citizen impressions of the officers. A sample of 36 officers was randomly assigned to one control and two treatment groups while responding to calls. Citizens receiving services from these officers were surveyed (N = 363) to determine if the presence or absence of a uniform necktie or hat influenced citizen impressions of the officers. No evidence was found to suggest that these uniform accessories had any influence on citizen impressions of officers on six semantic scales. The findings suggest that uniform hats and neckties are an issue of agency preference, but do not improve or worsen citizen impressions of officers.

Is British Police Uniform Adequate for the Task?

Each of 43 Police Forces in Britain test and supply their own uniform ensembles. Whilst sharing similarities, the ensembles differ. A national Uniform Project Group was established to evaluate current uniform so as to develop future provision of a uniform ‘menu’. An ergonomics contribution is presented. A range of data sources were tapped, the main one being uniformed patrol officers (UPOs) discussion groups. Seven Forces and 55 UPOs contributed. UPOs undertake a wide range of tasks in many different circumstances. Uniform must provide protection, resist injury, accommodate body armour, offer unfettered access to safety equipment (communications, self-defence) and adapt to the elements. It must provide carriage facilities for up to 21 items. Review of these is needed. Other issues included: recognisability, smartness, public perceptions and ease of care (issues raised by 51, 34, 44 & 27 participants respectively). Design specifications resulted: a layered system giving freedom of movement, minimised ‘grab’ points, allowance for body armour and utility belt providing unfettered equipment access and further carriage facilities. Quality/cost issues were addressed. Novel uniform ensembles were designed and are being evaluated. In addition to presenting summarised data and identifying tasks, responsibilities and activities of UPOs, the paper identifies consequent system and job design issues.

The Effect of Police Uniform on Interpersonal Perception

ABSTRACT Three groups of female college students were shown three different photographs of the same police officers—one photograph of the face only and two full-length ones of the officers dressed in either civilian clothing or police uniform. We hypothesized that subjects' perceptions of the police officers in uniform would differ from their perceptions of the officers in the other two conditions. Subjects' perceptions were measured by a semantic differential rating scale. The results supported the hypothesis on several semantic differential dimensions. Police officers photographed in their uniforms were perceived as more competent, more reliable, more intelligent, and more helpful than when they were photographed in either of the other two conditions.

Police uniforms, attitudes, and citizens

This study focuses on identifying the relationship between the citizen's attitude toward the police and the police uniform and authoritarian attitude. The perceived authority associated with the police uniform has been an essential ingredient of the police role. Consequently, the police uniform influences attitudes and behaviors of the wearers as well as the citizens with whom they interact. The citizen's attitude is negatively affected by the traditional military style police uniform in conjunction with the authoritarian attitude exhibited by police officers in performance of their duties. Consequently, when the uniform and officer's attitude are altered, there will be a corresponding change in the citizen's attitude toward the police. The attitude of the officer, in conjunction with the uniform, exerts considerably more influence on the citizen's attitude than does the uniform, officer's attitude, or any additional factor acting independently.

Review: Police Uniform Clothing

Review: Police Uniform Clothing