I wish I was a nurse. They get to wear those baggy pants and shirts that are a bright color and look like pajamas. You know how comfortable that would be running after a bad guy? Even I could jump a fence wearing that! Or how about those winter nights where you are sitting in the patrol car at -40 degree Celsius (whatever that is in Fahrenheit for you guys) for 11 hours of a 12 hour shift because everyone in the city is shut into their warm houses, including the criminals? Those jammie-like pants and shirts would be so awesome on nights like that.
Ok ladies, let's talk clothing. And not just the fashion side of the uniform, my gosh - lets not get started on that, but just merely the practicality of the clothing. I think women in a uniform is the great equalizer, we all look "less than attractive" in it, regardless of how skinny we are or how chubby we are. When I first started I had to wear men's pants which meant in order to get the hips into the pants the waist was 4 sizes too big. I know companies do make women's sized clothing; however some police organizations are reluctant to order them as they may be a special order for the few women on the force, so even today many police women are stuck stuffing themselves into clothing that simply does not fit.
Our department issued wool pants. Wool pants in winter - well OK, but wool pants in summer - not so good. Sick of our complaining, our department tried polyester pants. These looked like a rag, didn't hold their shape and were prone to snagging on everything. Most officers, men and women looked like they were wearing a diaper after a couple hours of sitting in them; again not so good. Most of us wanted cargo pants, with a bit of cotton in them for comfort, like the SWAT guys wear, but administration thought we looked too militaristic when we wore cargo pants. Never mind the fact that they would be practical and would give you somewhere to stick your notebook and other items while you are chasing someone. Plus if you read our job descriptions, much of what we do is militaristic and pretty much cannot be done by anyone else other than those in law enforcement. Is having a decent pair of pants too much to ask? I don't think so. A few years ago they gave in. The cargo pants are awesome and they look great.
Now shirts. We need a place for parts of our female anatomy. Sorry: When you hired us I am sure you noticed our chest. When we wear men's shirts our sleeves and shirt tails are 10 ft long because we have to get the shirt big enough in the chest for "some of what God gave us". FYI: they sell women's shirts with "darts" in the front to accommodate a few of our bossom buddies. Then we can move more freely and do the work we we're meant to do without so much restriction. I remember having to check that "one button" every time I walked into a scene because in men's shirts that one button in the middle always got a little strained and sometimes, just on its own, decided to release and show the world my bra. Not the type of look you would like on the front of the newspaper when you are arresting someone. Plus it can be dangerous! A stressed button could blow and take someone's eye out. I'd like to see that explanation on the injury report.
Hats. Ladies are you still being subjected to Elmer Fudd hats? Is your hat any different than the hat of your male colleague? It shouldn't be. There are tons of things that set us apart; hats shouldn't be one of them. They make a great forge cap now that has a shorter brim for women that looks awesome. Look into it and propose it to your department.
Duty Belts. Well for some of the women gifted with a nice small waist, there is barely enough room around them for all of the gear we are issued. Plus the belt ends up weighing as much as they do. Tips to make your belt lighter include, a smaller yet just as powerful flashlight like the Stinger and changing your belt from a leather one to nylon with velcro attachments and plastic clips. They also have suspenders you can wear with the nylon belt that takes pressure off of your hips and places some of the weight on your shoulders, saving you from days of continued back pain and those spots where they rub on your hip bones. We are buying ours from Tactical Advantage right now. Also, think of items you can eliminate from your belt. Some attach their car keys and notebooks to their belts. This can be carried elsewhere on your body such as in your pockets (see note above about cargo pants). It is great to have access to all of your force options, but make sure you are still able to run for cover if need be.
There has been a huge advancement in the law enforcement clothing industry to accommodate the growing amount of female officers. They even have pink handcuffs. How embarrassing would that be for a bad guy!? It's bad enough being arrested by a woman, but paraded by their friends in pink handcuffs? Now that's priceless!
