Calhoun, Georgia, police officers are transitioning beginning this week to new uniforms designed to be cooler and more durable than the current polyester ones, Chief Tony Pyle said in a news release.
"When I took over as chief in July of 2018 one of my goals was to change our look so every officer, day and night watch, would be uniformed in appearance," Pyle said. "I elected to wait until our annual uniform allowance came around so this transition would not add any extra cost to the taxpayers of Calhoun."
The current uniform for day watch officers are Class A (dress) uniforms and night watch officers wear BDU's (battle dress uniforms), the release states.
Pyle said the new uniform will closely resemble the Class A uniform.
"While I like the fact that the new uniform is more suitable for the job, my main reason for wanting the change is to move away from the para-military look of the [battle dress uniforms]," he said. "I do not like the fact that our officers are wearing a uniform that by its very name, as well as appearance, indicates a military presence.
"While I have the utmost respect for our armed forces, I believe the men and women that patrol our community should look like police officers, not soldiers," Pyle said in the statement.