HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A major change could be coming to the Hutchinson Police Department’s look. For years, the look of the force has traditionally been tan shirts and green slacks. Before that, the slacks were brown. But New Chief Jeffrey Hooper says it is becoming harder to match the shirts and wants a change. He is proposing changing over to a more traditional blue uniform.

Along with the color change to traditional law enforcement blue, Hooper is looking at a variety of outer vest carriers as more and more agencies are going to an outer vest. Hooper says officers find it more comfortable and more functional. The initial changeover cost will be somewhere between $29,000 to $36,600.

Hooper says the decision to make a major change in the police attire has been one of the more difficult decisions, between balancing HPD tradition against law enforcement tradition and current trends. He stated in his brief to the council that, ultimately, it comes down to increased officer safety, comfort and the prevention of back injuries.

The matter goes before the City Council on Tuesday during the regular meeting set for 9 a.m. in the Hutchinson city offices.