Uniform Police Appearance Policies Throughout Pennsylvania: Are they Consistent?

• In Event: Police Training and Appearance Policies

Abstract

Public trust and confidence in police have been a long debated topic, and most of the conversations have been about police actions that might cause the negative relationship with the public. However, the police uniform and accoutrements express a connection to opinion and perception that are potentially causing the negative police-public relationship. The evolution of uniforms and accoutrements used by police have evoked a variety of reactions from different communities, and the over-militarization of police uniforms and equipment has an impact on the public’s perception of law enforcement as a whole. This project compares municipal police department policies regarding uniform and accoutrements, such as the type of weaponry. By assessing discrepancies among the appearance policies police departments, conclusions can be drawn about specific accouterments or aspects of the uniforms that may be causing negative perceptions of police.

Authors

• Makayla Smith, Penn State Harrisburg

• Dessire Amaya, Penn State Harrisburg

• Angela Deras, Penn State Harrisburg

• Victoria McQueen, Penn State Harrisburg

• Angela Patterson, Penn State Harrisburg

• Jennifer Gibbs, Penn State Harrisburg

• Siyu Liu, Penn State Harrisburg