Kansas City area police departments amending uniform rules to support the Chiefs
Leaders at local departments hope it helps connect officers to their communities
Leaders at local departments hope it helps connect officers to their communities
Leaders at local departments hope it helps connect officers to their communities
Clay County Sheriff's deputies are used to wearing a lot of gear on the job.
For the next two weeks, there's even more to wear.
Until the Super Bowl, Kansas City Chiefs gear is part of the uniform code.
Sheriff Will Akin made the call to temporarily let his deputies wear Chiefs hats while on duty and patrol.
It’s probably a good idea considering other parts of their uniforms look pretty close to Eagles green.
"Can't change that color. Pants are hard to come by,” Akin said.
The response to all the red on deputies has already been overwhelmingly positive.
"What's really awesome is the people in our community. They see we're supporting the Chiefs, and they think that's a great idea, and as long as the community thinks that's a great idea, we're gonna do it." Akin said.
The response has been the same in Smithville. Police Chief Jason Lockridge has been letting his officers wear Chiefs gear since the start of the playoffs.
"It's really gone over well with the community, and it kind of encourages people to come up and talk to officers," Lockridge said.
He says it also shows that the officers here are community members, connecting the police to the people they serve.
"It's a way to kind of just break down those walls a little bit and try to show people that all our officers are human too,” Lockridge said.
In Smithville, the chief says nearly all of his 20 officers are taking advantage of this temporary uniform change.
He says he hopes to continue the tradition again next year with another Chiefs trip to the Super Bowl.
