Why have LEO's stopped wearing hats?

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My answer is: the chief demands you wear the official hat at ALL TIMES. He's an ex-marine and likes all uniform officers to be uniform. Don't get caught with your hat off at a crime scene if the media is present or a photo is printed in the morning paper. You will be reprimanded. No lie! I've been there and been reprimanded. Had a lieutenant tell me to put on my hat when I was at the city gas pumps (outside downtown) putting gas into my cruiser, around 10:30 p.m. No one could see me. The area is deserted at night. You can carry a badge, carry a gun, and you damn well better not be caught without a hat. Of course, my department has no supervisors with brass-balls to defend the working street officer from the desk brass (Lt. rank up), including the chief.
 
Here's why I was sarcastic about the hats: I and two other officers responded to a stabbing in progress. When we arrived, it was still in progress; his wife was stabbed 36 times. We tackled the guy, with everybody falling over a sofa into a pool of blood. The guy was big and high, and it was one hellofa fight, even with three of us. We finally got him cuffed, paramedics arrived on scene (believe it or not, she lived!), and we led him out to a cruiser, fighting all the way (this was before Tasers) and covered in blood. Who comes driving by? The (then) &$%# chief! Does he stop to help? Hell, no. Does he say, good job guys? Hell no. What did he say? "Where's your &%# hats, people?" We all got written reprimands :mad: . I don't push hats or spit-shined shoes today. I'm more worried about street survival skills, legal knowledge, and people skills, and my present chief backs me up on that.
 
A better question might be "Why have men stopped wearing hats?".

Look at any shot from the twenties or thirties (or even forties or fifties). The men wear hats. Now most don't. Why? And why should cops be different?
 
The beef people have with hats always boils down to officer safety and some administrator in their dept who forces the issue.
If you're letting your hat interfer with your officer safety then you need more officer safety training. You're letting your hat dictate your actions. Hats do not impact officer safety - the fixation on a hat does. When it gets time to get with it - forget the hat for Pete's sake! We require our Troops to be covered when they're outside, unless it's an officer safety concern. 25 yrs ago I was FTOing a boot Troop. We backed up another Troop who had made a traffic stop, got a hit on a violent subject, and when we arrived there were 14 people on scene. I jumped out with the shotgun, sans hat, and when I checked my rookie he was screwing his hat on. He had just come out of the Marines and hadn't gotten it figured out about officer safety v hat. That night woke him up.
If you have administrators who can't distinguish between officer safety and the time to wear a hat then it's not a hat issue, it's an administrator issue. You have a lot more problems in your dept than hats.
 
If you have administrators who can't distinguish between officer safety and the time to wear a hat then it's not a hat issue, it's an administrator issue. You have a lot more problems in your dept than hats.
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Amen. Unfortunately, the working street officer can only continue to sign the written reprimand. Hats on at all times will never change in my department. :mad: It's one of many internal problems within the ranks. One the average citizen will never know or understand.
 
A better question might be "Why have men stopped wearing hats?".

Look at any shot from the twenties or thirties (or even forties or fifties). The men wear hats. Now most don't. Why? And why should cops be different?
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Men stopped wearing hats for a couple of reasons.

1. The state stopped providing hat racks in schools so male children had no place to hang their hat while in class (and we all KNOW that you don't wear a hat inside). Response: No hats in school.

2. Casual clothing. Casual clothing instead of suits or sportcoats meant that you didn't need a hat to complete your attire. Since most of us these days bum around in sweatshirts and sneakers we don't change our attitude about hats when wearing more formal attire.

Personally, I don't wear a hat. Rain or shine, hot or cold, I can't stand the reduction in vision. When my vision's blocked, I can't see the BG before he becomes an immediate problem.
 
When the Cop that pulled you over puts on his smokey the bear hat and then checks his reflection on his window before he approaches you = Your gonna have a bad day.
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Been there, done that, got the citation.

THe captain (essentially the XO) of my department recently pitched a fit when he discovered the road patrol division wasn't routinely issuing covers anymore. His reason, however, was a little more enlightened than some others posted here: he wanted the road deputies to have the cover available as a tool to increase professional appearance if the deputies thought a little more visual ooomph was necessary. They're not required unless at formal occasions, but I agree that they do make the deputies easier to find in a crowd.

-Teuf
 
Capt.

Who comes driving by? The (then) &$%# chief! Does he stop to help? Hell, no. Does he say, good job guys? Hell no. What did he say? "Where's your &%# hats, people?" We all got written reprimands
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LMAO... :D :D Been there, worked for one, hated hats. And, up North where I live LEO's do not wear hats...
 
I've let this running in the hopes that sooner or later it might develop into something to do with Training and Tactics. With very few excepitons (like Capn' Charlie's), it hasn't.

Closed, OT.

Denny
 
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