A new look as the Branch County Sheriff Office goes green

BRANCH COUNTY — You can soon expect to see new Branch County deputies in green uniforms rather than traditional brown.

Sheriff John Pollack wore one of the new uniforms to a county commission meeting last week. Commissioners asked him to model.

"The uniform companies are telling us that the brown dye is getting harder to get. They couldn't guarantee that we would get uniforms," Pollack explained.

The companies suggested going to new uniforms. The sheriff asked the staff to decide.

Pollack said some departments are going to black, but his department chose dark green.

Pollack said, "We went back and looked and the first uniforms...were green." The color is visible on old patches from earlier uniforms.

The department does own some brown Class A uniforms, which current policy requires for court appearances. The new road patrol will be green for daily use.

For a while, deputies will wear both colors, with current deputies receiving new ones when it comes time for routine replacement.

Pollack expects the transition to take a year as older uniforms wear out.

The sheriff thinks brown uniforms may come back from manufacturers again. "I wouldn't be surprised if, in a few years brown won't be a problem. We're going to go to the green and stick with that," the retiring sheriff said.

Most Michigan sheriff's departments traditionally wear dark brown shirts and tan pants with a brown stripe down the sides.

Green is the color worn by Michigan DNR conservation officers.

Ingham County first changed in 2019 to black and grey uniforms for patrols.

The Lansing State Journal reported that the new black uniforms were lighter, more comfortable, and much cheaper than the traditional uniforms. That change came at a time when over 30 new officers were hired because of retirements.

Lenawee County switched road patrol uniforms in 2020 using COVID-19 funds.

Sheriff Troy Bevier switched to black uniforms for patrol work. His department, like others switching colors, provides dress-brown Class A uniforms for court and ceremonial occasions.

Bevier said the brown uniforms are less breathable, less durable, and have to be dry cleaned.

In making the change, Bevier told Lenconnect.com of the brown uniforms, "They are probably about double the cost of a Class B uniform. They're not very forgiving. They are hard to mend when torn."

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In 2023, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office switched from brown attire to an all-black cotton uniform.

In Michigan, city police generally wear various colors of blue or black, while Michigan State Police wear navy blue.

— Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: A new look as the Branch County Sheriff Office goes green