By Wesley Harris
A photo of Ruston police chief John Tom Sisemore on his horse in 1898 shows a lawman with the bare essentials—a badge on his chest and a revolver on his hip. Remove those and he was dressed no different than a merchant or schoolteacher or banker of his time.
Today’s officers carry much more equipment to perform their duties—radios, pepper spray, one or two sets of handcuffs, body cameras, first aid gear, defensive weapons, a pistol, and perhaps as much as 30-40 rounds of ammunition.
Current chief Eric Watson knows a professional-looking police officer garners more respect. And the options now available in terms of comfort and utility make it essential to consider updates and improvements in the uniforms and gear his officers wear.
Police uniforms have embraced both modern materials and technology. Moisture-wicking fabrics, body armor integration, and modular equipment systems have become standard. Casual attire like polo shirts is often worn by officers in administrative or investigative positions. The evolution of police uniforms mirrors the broader changes in law enforcement strategies, balancing visibility, comfort, protection, and practicality in the modern work environment.
From Ruston’s founding in 1884 until the 1930s, police officers wore civilian clothing with a badge attached to the coat or shirt. The first uniform of dark wool appeared in the 1930s. A leather duty belt was supported by a strap over the shoulder although the belt contained very little equipment—officers would not have pepper spray or Mace or walkie-talkies for decades.
From the 1960s to the early 70s, Ruston Police uniforms featured western-style attire complete with cowboy hats. Most officers wore cowboy boots and leather gun belts, often tooled with intricate designs and silver buckles. The shirts and pants were mostly khaki-colored with dark green detailing.
The badge worn by officers at that time was a very small shield, each with a number starting with number one for the chief and ascending based on seniority. If someone left the department, the officers below him moved up a number. For example, if the officer wearing badge #7 quit or retired, the officer with badge #8 would hand his badge down to the officer with badge #9 and move up to badge #7.
In 1974 newly appointed police chief Donald G. Hammon completely replaced the cowboy look with what was becoming the traditional navy blue uniform of a municipal police force. The pants bore a narrow gray stripe down each leg. The dress shirts featured matching gray piping around the pockets and a relatively simple shoulder patch. The small numbered badges were also retired and replaced by a new shield still worn by all Ruston personnel.
By 1980, the gray stripe on the pants had been eliminated as a cost-saving measure. Officer Shannon Hogg designed a new patch that featured a brown pelican, the Louisiana State bird, looking down from the top of City Hall. This design was also used as the door decal on patrol vehicles and became the city’s logo for a time.
Dispatchers and a parking control officer for the downtown district wore a similar uniform but with a gray shirt.
Under the administration of Chief Randal Hermes, the shoulder patch changed to a more elaborate design with the pelican and City Hall motif surrounded by symbols of the community—a peach, the Louisiana Tech logo, and a stand of timber.
“Officer Randy Holstead penciled the rough sketch for the patch,” RPD retiree Jim Hilton said. “He took it to [artist] Bino Hinojosa who made Randy’s sketch more presentable.”
Hilton said fellow supervisor Charlie McIntire took the sketch home and his daughter colored in the design. A patch manufacturer provided the department a couple of proofs, one the current patch and the other with some color variations.
Today, officers still wear the same navy blue uniform and badge instituted in the 1970s but with some modifications. Leather duty gear has been replaced with a more durable and lighter composite material. Externally worn load-bearing vests shift the weight of gear like portable radios off hips.
Chief Watson said he’s contemplating changes to the duty uniform. The dress uniform, he says, will remain the same navy blue officers have worn for decades.
But Watson wants to see more uniformity in the department’s uniforms.
“Over time, as we’ve hired people in stages, they got uniforms of one brand but then the next group hired were issued a different style,” Watson said. “We saw that in vest carriers when we couldn’t get the same brand any more so now everyone’s uniform looks a bit different. And some officers don’t even have a vest carrier and wear their body armor under the shirt which can be very hot.”
“A professional look is everything,” Watson said, noting the patrol uniform may be revised to present a more consistent, professional appearance.
