Arlington Police Officers Test Out New Uniforms

ARLINGTON, VA -- Residents can expect to see a new look for some of their public safety officers this spring as the Arlington County Police Department evaluates new versions of the department's Class A dress uniform.

"The department proposed exploring new uniform options after discovering that unique colors, such as our current heather blue for our Class A uniform and pant-stripe, are increasingly difficult to obtain," said Ashley Savage, ACPD public information officer.

The Arlington County Sheriff's Office changed its uniforms from heather to black in 2019 for similar reasons.

ACPD's test uniforms will replace the heather blue with navy blue or gray shirts, which will be adorned with ACPD's patch, an officer’s name tag and badge of authority. The pants will be the same navy blue color as is currently being worn but without the existing strip.

Officers will be testing how the fabric performs during their day-to-day duties. Officers not participating in the evaluation will continue to wear the current Class A uniform.

ACPD will continue the evaluation through March. If all goes well, the new uniforms will be implemented by this summer, Savage said.