I recently read an editorial from a retired correctional officer who preached the importance of shined boots. His emphasis was on promoting professionalism and preparedness in his hostile working environment. It was disappointing to see so many dissenting opinions from self-described correctional, police and sheriff’s officers.
One of the first things my father taught me before I started the police academy was to always press my uniforms and shine my boots. A former Vietnam vet and Connecticut State Trooper, he lived by the mantra, “Look sharp, be sharp.”
In the academy, during Arrest and Control training, I learned that suspects are less likely to test an officer who looks squared away. On the street, I can say convincingly that those who show up to work looking squared away carry themselves with greater confidence and control.
Your uniform is the first thing people see — whether you wear the traditional copper shield and pins or the modern vest with the array of equipment attached to it. Residents, stakeholders and subjects all make judgments about what to expect in terms of service, competence and, yes, resistance. Our presence is also our first level of show of force, so why not make it impactful?
Having a squared-away uniform also reflects other admirable traits like mental readiness, physical fitness and professionalism. Despite working in a fluid environment, these are all things we can control. I believe they also contribute to longevity and safety when an officer takes the initiative to discipline themselves to these minor commitments.
If you’re a boss, I implore you to set and hold these standards. They’ll keep your people safe, potentially reduce complaints and use of force, and reinforce the strength of your agency.
In a profession where perception often shapes reality, looking the part isn’t vanity — it’s readiness.
| RELATED: State your case: Should the NYPD return to traditional uniform and grooming standards?
Police1 readers respond
This one got our Facebook fans talking! From old-school troopers who still shine their boots every morning to officers who say “mud, blood and sweat are the real badges of honor,” opinions were all over the map. Some swear that looking sharp shows pride and discipline, while others insist comfort and fitness matter more than polish. Here’s a selection of the best comments — then check out the 300+ replies on Facebook to see where you stand in the debate.
- It’s sad to see that so many cops want to use the fitness standards excuse for not shining their boots, pressing their uniforms and having worn gear while working. Yes, fitness is important, but we are discussing uniforms and boots. If your gear or boots get dirty, you had better start clean for the next shift. As a supervisor, I set and exceed the standard for my shift. After several years on active duty in the Army and my 30th year on patrol, I have always shown up to work with creased sleeves, shined boots, clean duty gear, clean shaven and a proper haircut. Don’t come to work looking like a bag of “smashed a$$holes” and your patrol vehicle better be clean inside and out too. If you don’t, you are doing yourself a disservice, making your agency look bad and making it harder for the next cop who must deal with the people on your call. Military bearing and being truly squared away are the proper way to have longevity in your career.
- I was told in the academy that the first 10 seconds after you exit your vehicle are when people decide what kind of cop you are. Basically, it means always be squared away.
- When I was a rookie an older cop told me, ‘Your uniform is the first thing a person sees when you arrive and the last thing they see when you leave. What kind of impression are you making when you arrive and what impression are you leaving them with?’
- My Hoka’s are made to run, jump, move, not shine. My uniform however has always been squared away. Sloppy, ill-fitting uniforms that wear like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man are wretched looking. Stay fit, take care of yourself and keep your uniforms functional.
- The boot on the right is from an officer that works. The boot on the left is from an officer that sits in a parking lot in between calls watching Netflix on his phone.
- What’s telling is the idea that in order to have clean shoes you have to be a lazy officer. Now, shined boots don’t always mean someone is squared away, but there’s a tendency for the person who pays attention to details and takes care of their gear to also take care of their work.
- Police uniforms should model military formats. Class A uniform with high-shine boots and internal vest. Field uniforms with field boots and external vest. Working urban areas in a suit and tie combo does not promote hard work. Making a uniform comfortable shouldn’t mean it looks sloppy.
- It’s fine to preach uniform appearance as a measuring stick for professionalism, but if you aren’t bringing a fit and squared-away body with it then you’re blowing smoke. All the way or not at all.
- I always kept my uniform neat, clean, pressed and professional. Your uniform and how you wear it tells about you without you saying a word, and it’s a reflection on the department as a whole. If you aren’t proud to wear it, don’t.
- I’m old school. Been wearing a uniform for 37 years. Most of my time was as a State Trooper and the traditional uniform with shined boots and Smokey Bear hat was our everyday attire. Now as a small agency chief, I still try to set the standard for professionalism.
- If you look professional, you will feel professional. If you feel professional, you will act professional.
- It’s not just a matter of appearance. It’s a demonstration of discipline and routine. Good cops are creatures of habit. They clean their guns, check their vests, charge devices, and show uniformity and motivation.
- Being squared away is an absolute survival tactic that is not stressed enough today.
- I want my boots to look like ‘you can’t outrun me,’ not like I’m going to a formal event.
- I’ll take the in-shape officer with scuffed boots over the shiny boots on someone who can’t see their toes over their stomach.
- Your fitness speaks before you do, but we aren’t ready for that conversation.
- Clean at the beginning of shift. Covered in mud, blood, and who knows what by the end. Repeat.
- When pomp and circumstance become more important than practical uniforms, equipment and troop morale, something’s gone wrong.
- If you have 25% body fat or higher and are on patrol, I don’t care how shiny your boots are or how clean your haircut is. You’re not getting there in time, and when you do, you’ll be winded. Let’s bring back fitness standards before we start judging scuffed boots.
- I totally agree. You give yourself a tremendous advantage by simply ‘looking the part.’ Besides, a traditional police uniform never seemed unusually uncomfortable to me and I’ve been wearing them for 37 years. Most of those years as a State Trooper, so yes, I’m biased toward the traditional uniform.
- Fit, clean and squared away. All desirable, worthy and admirable traits. But that it were as simple as, this = good, that = bad. Yet no one knows better than police officers the variables, vicissitudes, frailty and incongruities of the human psyche. Still, look sharp. Be sharp.
- Working in a large metro department, people we would deal with would look at boots to see how long you’ve
been a cop. Dirty boots=senior cop. Shined boots=new/on FTO or freshly off. My uniform is always squared away with worn boots. I think sharing the “trooper” perspective for shiny boots says a lot here. - I was temporarily loaned to a shift at our jail when I was a SO Lieutenant. One deputy had smeared “BRASSO” on his composite badge in defiance of our SOP and displayed a dull, brown metal badge on his uniform, so that was one of the things I called him out on during inspection. His snickering reply was that he “didn’t want to look like a rookie.” The rest of the troops, lots more “squared away,” chuckled as I explained that looking sloppy (brown badge?) made him look even less professional.
