By Brett Gillin
Last week, the North American Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors held their annual gala to announce the best dressed police departments in the nation, and the men and women of the Wylie Police Department were among those taking home honors. These annual awards point out the uniforms that are not only the most fashionable, but also those that are seen as most functional and worthy of commanding respect.
The Wylie Police Department won for best dressed department with 51-100 officers. As you can tell by this playful video posted by CW33, the folks at the Wylie PD are more than just a little proud of their accomplishment. But it certainly didn’t come as a shock.
“Pretty much not surprised,” Wylie PD’s public information officer, Donna Valdepena, told reporters with CW33. “We worked real hard on these uniforms and I think we look pretty good.”
But the looks aren’t the only reason that Wylie received this honor. Thanks to additions like Velcro-lined pockets and pants with extra storage, the uniforms are as functional as fashionable. “The pants look like regular pants, but they have pockets on the side,” Valdepena told reporters. “This makes it easier to carry an extra flashlight or handcuffs, whatever you might need.”
The Northampton County Sheriff Department took home the award for best dressed sheriff’s office. Sheriff David J. Dalrymple was also quick to point out how important having a good uniform is to law enforcement officers. He told reporters with Lehigh Valley Live “We all make judgments of each other. If you’re squared away, look good in uniform, there’s a lot of advantages of that.”
Northampton makes a point to mention that each uniform is custom tailored to the individual officer. This means that officers will not only feel more comfortable and look great while protecting and serving, but they’ll have the upmost freedom of movement thanks to their well-fitted uniforms.
Also taking home awards were the Upper Providence Township Police Department in Pennsylvania (Less than 50 officers), The Lincoln Nebraska Police Department (251-750 officers), The Orlando Florida Police Department (751-1,000 officers) and the Hartford Connecticut Judicial Marshal Services (best dressed Marshall service.)
