Murray – The Murray Police Department recently got new uniforms for its entire force, and Chief Sam Birds said they should not only be more practical for everyday use, but will be easier on officers’ backs over time.
MPD employees started wearing the all-new uniforms about a week ago, and Byrds said it’s a worthwhile investment.
“This was proposed in the budget as a capital project to move to what we call a Class B uniform,” Byrds said. “It’s more practical than the traditional Class A uniform. We still have the Class A uniform with the black pants and gray shirt, and we reserve it for formal occasions like graduations, special celebrations or funerals, if we have to, and wear it to court from time to time. The whole motivation for this new uniform is It is – and this is how I explain it to people – don’t you put on your Sunday best to go mow the lawn; you put on your lawn mowing clothes. Our patrol officers work on wrecks, push cars, and they may have to flee; sometimes, they have to fight. They have to “They do all these things, so this uniform is more practical. It’s lighter, it’s easier to make calls.”
The Byrds requested an allocation for new uniforms when they submitted their 2023-24 budget request, and $46,000 was budgeted for the expense. This was supposed to cover 37 officers, and Byrds said the department currently has about 33 officers. Bulk purchasing saved the city money, he said, and the new uniforms are actually less expensive than Class A uniforms because they don’t require as many modifications.
One of the key features of the new uniforms is the external vest holder, which Byrds said the Calloway County Sheriff’s Office and Murray State University Police Department have already been using for years. These were the most expensive items and took up nearly half the budget because they were custom-made to fit each individual officer and their ballistic plates, Birds said.
The vests have compartments for various officers’ equipment and can be customized through the use of detachable Velcro pockets and compartments. Even badges and name plates can be removed and replaced. The vests — along with light duty belts — are an attractive alternative to the inner vests worn by MPD officers in the past because they are more comfortable and able to store items traditionally kept on their belts, making them better for long-term officers, Byrds said. The term physical health.
“A lot of research has been done on this,” Birds said. “All of this equipment is traditionally on the belt, and when you factor in a leather belt and keeping all the equipment there, that puts a lot of pressure and weight on the lower back. This is designed to move the equipment up and away from the waist and distribute it more evenly across the chest and torso.”
“We went with what’s known as MOLLE. They’re modular and officers have the option of setting up the vest in a way that makes sense for them. Everyone can put things where they’re comfortable. Sewn bags are an option with a lot of carriers, so that’s all well and good for uniformity, but Everyone has a slightly different way of doing it. This has given us some variety, where we don’t limit ourselves to a certain way of doing things and maintain a professional appearance.
Officers can store their gear anywhere they prefer on the vest, with their rifles being the only thing that should remain on their belts, Byrds said. He said they are required to keep the clipboard in the same place so they can grab it quickly if necessary.
Byrds said he wanted to stick with MPD’s traditional gray and black color scheme, but instead of black pants and a gray shirt, they have now been changed.
“We’ve been black and gray for as long as anyone can remember,” Birds said. “I’ve seen photos from the early 1950s of Murray police officers wearing black and gray uniforms, so we reversed the colors to save costs. It’s much easier to find a black outdoor carrier than a gray outdoor carrier, but this still maintains the continuity of the black And grey. It’s just gray on the bottom and black on top.
While the top at first glance looks like a polo shirt, it is actually a “hybrid shirt” made of different materials and designed to be worn under an outer jacket, Byrds said.
“The top third of the shirt is actually the same material that our uniforms are made from, and the long-sleeve version looks exactly like a long-sleeve shirt,” he said. “So when you wear the outer carrier, the exposed parts like the collar look like a regular top-tier shirt, but the bottom two-thirds are a stretchy performance material designed to wick away sweat and work well under outer carrier clothing.”
Having the vest outside of clothing also makes it easier to put on or take off, which Byrds said makes it more convenient for every officer to wear, whether they are on patrol or working in their office.
“Our administrators and people like that will wear this on a daily basis, and if we have to go out (in the field), we’ll send out the outside carrier and we’re good to go,” he said. “When patrol officers are here at the station doing paperwork or taking a break, they can take that jacket off and breathe a little. Before, with the Class A uniform, you had the jacket under the shirt and you wore it the whole shift. I can remember when you I work patrol, and I would come home after working the afternoon shift in August, and my shirt was so wet that it was three times its normal size.
The new uniforms became complete last Thursday when the jackets arrived, and Officer Dylan Bobo said he greatly appreciated the difference.
“I enjoyed being able to take some things off my waist instead of putting everything on my belt,” Bobo said. “Being a smaller design, I have very limited space, so now I’m able to move everything up off my hips where there’s not as much weight. That’s the main thing, and I love that the outer jacket isn’t as hot as the inner jacket, which stays in shape.” Essential to your body all day long, while this jacket allows some air to circulate.
Officer Dustin Bevell said the Class B uniform is much easier and more comfortable to use, and since he grew up in Murray, he was glad they were able to stick with the traditional black and gray uniform.
“Class A has its utility; it’s great for the court, and I think we have one of the best Class A uniforms I’ve seen,” Bevell said. “But (it’s great) to come here wearing something that’s appropriate for the job we’re doing and not feel Worried about the staples tearing. … It’s good to have a uniform that supports the work we’re doing now. This is something we have wanted for a very long time because we saw the necessity of it. We have a lot of agencies around us that have had this problem for a long time (while others are newer). Having a leader like Chief Bierds and Major (John) Cooper able to do that for us was a godsend. It was really cool.
“(I appreciate) the accessibility and ease that comes with a costume like this. Our job (and its challenges) really is what it is; it’s the nature of the beast, but being able to have the equipment to support it has been extremely helpful.”
