202.03 Uniform Classes and Rules

Uniform Classes:
The regular Saint Paul Police uniform will be configured as Class A, B or C. The Class D – SPPD Utility Uniform may be worn for applicable assignments and details. The Class E – Unit-Specific Uniform may be worn for authorized units. The Uniform Guide (found on the Intranet) lists all approved uniforms.

Any changes to the uniform or unit-specific uniform will be approved by the Chief or their designee prior to implementation. The uniform policy and guide must be adjusted to reflect the change prior the wearing of the new attire (see G.O. 202.03 Wearing of the Uniform-roles and responsibilities).

See below for descriptions and related rules.

Class A: Command Staff:

Hat (appropriate to season), hat wreath and gold hat band (band with garrison hat only)
Blouse coat with metal badge, gold name bar, and award ribbons
White shirt (long sleeve, under blouse coat), gold name bar, gold buttons, and tie
Four-pocket trouser pants
Black shoes or boots
Uniform overcoat (if worn)

Class A: Sergeants and Officers:

Hat (appropriate to season), and hat wreath:
- Gold hat band (sergeants with garrison hat only) or
- Black hat band (officers with garrison hat only)
Blue shirt (long sleeve), gold buttons, and tie
Metal badge, gold colored embroidered name, award ribbons
Four-pocket trouser pants
Duty belt and required equipment
Black shoes or boots
Blauer style jacket (if worn)
Body Worn Camera (BWC) -if issued
- Exception: The Chief of Police or designee may authorize an exemption to wearing BWC during special events where the Class A uniform is worn

Class B: All Ranks:

Hat (appropriate to season), hat wreath and hat band (band color as designated above)
Blue shirt (short sleeve) and gold buttons
Metal badge, award ribbons, and gold colored embroidered name (or gold name bar for command staff)
Four-pocket trouser pants
Duty belt and required equipment

Black shoes or boots
Blauer style jacket, leather jacket, or fleece jacket (if worn)
Body Worn Camera (BWC)-if issued

Class C: All Ranks:

Hat (appropriate to season-may be required to be worn based on circumstances), hat wreath and hat band (band color as designated above)
Blue shirt (to include Super-shirt) with gold colored embroidered name and metal badge, and gold buttons.
- Short sleeve with open collar
- Long sleeve with tie or turtleneck (navy blue turtleneck with gold “SPPD” embroidered on collar)
- All officers, regardless rank or assignment, wearing the uniform shirt for duty are authorized the option to wear either the short-sleeve or long-sleeve shirt year-round.
Four or six-pocket traditional trouser pants
Patrol Duty Pants (navy blue six pocket pants)
Duty belt and required equipment
Black shoes or boots
Blauer style jacket, leather jacket, or fleece jacket (if worn).
Body Worn Camera (BWC)-if issued

Class D: SPPD Utility Uniform:
The class D Utility Uniform may be worn (with supervisor approval) for details that may be especially dirty or labor intensive, such as work at the impound lot, range or similar.

Class D utility uniform shirt:
- Navy blue
- Cloth badge
- Gold-colored embroidered name
- Department patches on both shoulders
Patrol Duty Pants (Navy blue six-pocket pants)
Black boots
Body Worn Camera (BWC) is required for the Class D uniform under circumstances dictated by G.O. 442.18.

Class E: SPPD Unit Specific Uniform:
The Class E – Unit-Specific uniform may be worn by Officers and Sergeants in a unit that has received prior approval from the Chief of Police or their designee via a request to the Deputy Chief of Operations.

There are two versions of the Class E – Unit-Specific uniform, a blue-pant version and a tan-pant version. Units approved to wear the Class E uniform will only be authorized to wear one of the two versions. Mixing the two versions will not be allowed.
- Class E Blue-Pant Version
  - Unit-specific polo shirt, dark blue
    - Cloth badge
    - Gold-colored embroidered name
  - Patrol Duty Pants (navy blue six-pocket pants)
  - Black, polish-able-toe boot
- Class E Tan-Pant Version
  - Unit-specific polo shift, dark blue
    - Cloth badge
    - Gold-colored embroidered name
  - Patrol Duty Pants (tan 6 pocket pants)
  - Tan boot
Body Worn Camera (BWC) is required for both versions of the Class E uniform under circumstances dictated by G.O. 442.18.

Uniform Related Items and Rules:

Hats and Helmets:

Authorized uniform hats:

Garrison hat with hat wreath and hat band (color of band as designated above) authorized all year
Winter fur hat with hat wreath (authorized between the months of October 1^st – April 1^st).
The watch cap with Saint Paul Police patch. The watch cap, or behind-the-head ear warmer, may only be worn between the months of October 1^st-April 1^st. The watch cap or behind-the-head ear warmer may not be worn indoors. The watch cap will be worn with the Saint Paul Police patch facing front and visible at all times.
The behind-the-head ear warmer may be worn in addition to the garrison hat during cold weather Class A uniform functions in which the garrison hat is the designated headgear.
Designated Saint Paul Police Department unit-specific baseball cap – only for officers assigned to: motors, mounted, and bicycle patrol when not wearing protective helmet.
The Deputy Chief of Operations may authorize alternative headwear as appropriate.

Hats will be worn square on the head with the hat band parallel to the ground (if applicable). The hat wreath will be attached to the cap using the pre-punched holes with the hat band facing forward.

The authorized Garrison hat or winter fur hat will be worn whenever leaving the squad for the following reasons:

- Performing traffic direction
- Performing duties with significant public exposure such as crime scenes when the media is present, public gatherings, media events, etc.
- Ceremonial details
- When directed to do so by a supervisor
  Exceptions to this must be approved by the On-Call Chief.
Helmets (riot and tactical) may be worn during appropriate circumstances and when authorized by a supervisor.

Coats and Jackets:

Coats and jackets will be worn as follows:

Overcoat: Command staff – class A
“Blauer” style jacket – all ranks, all classes
Leather jacket – all ranks, class C only
Fleece jacket – all ranks, class C, D, and E only
High visibility jacket – all ranks, for officers assigned to Traffic Enforcement, Motors, Mounted, and Bicycle Patrol only.

Footwear:

Uniformed officers will wear approved black shoes or boots with a polish-able toe.
- Exception: Officers and Sergeants authorized to wear the Class E – Unit-Specific uniform Tan-Version are authorized to wear a tan boot.
Shoes or boots will be clean and shined.
Footwear with perforations, buckles, or straps, sandals, moccasins, athletic-style footwear or cowboy boots are prohibited.
Socks will be dark blue or black.

Uniform Shirts and Related:

General Rules:

Uniform shirt pockets will be fastened and not bulging.
Collars will be buttoned when wearing a tie.
Long-sleeve shirts will be fully extended with all buttons fastened.
A T-shirt (white or dark blue) will be worn under the short-sleeve uniform shirt. The T-shirt sleeve shall not extend beyond the length of the uniform shirt sleeve.
The Armorskin Shirt is only authorized for wear under the External Vest Carrier (EVC). Officers and Sergeants wearing the EVC may remove the carrier when in a secure facility and out of public view (e.g. writing reports in a report writing room) but must immediately put the EVC back on upon leaving. This exception does not apply to command staff (see External Vest Carrier – Command Staff section below).
All officers, regardless rank or assignment, will be required to maintain a long-sleeve shirt and tie in their locker at all times in case a uniform change or Class A uniform is directed.

Name Insignia:
Officers will display their name on uniform shirts, (gold colored metal name bar or gold colored embroidered, dependent upon rank and class) one-quarter inch above, and parallel to the top of the right uniform shirt pocket.

Patches:
The Department patch will be worn on both sleeves of all Department uniform shirts, outerwear (except for rainwear) and sweaters. Patches will be centered one inch below the shoulder seam.

Exception:

Officers currently assigned to the Bomb (ODU) or Canine Units may wear the applicable unit patch on the right sleeve. The Department patch will be worn on left sleeve.

Gold Buttons:
Gold buttons are required to be worn on the regular uniform shirt and are available at no cost in the Inspections Unit.

Whistle and Whistle Chain:
Whistles may be worn, secured to the rear of the right uniform shirt pocket:

Black plastic whistle: all ranks, class C only
Silver colored whistle: officers, class A, B or C
Gold colored whistle: sergeants and above: class A, B or C
A whistle chain may be worn, secured both to the rear of the right uniform shirt pocket, and to the right-side shirt epaulet (gold colored for Sergeants and above, silver colored for Officers).

Pins and Tie Tacks/Tie Bars:

A United States flag pin may be worn one-quarter inch above the name tag or embroidered name, or one-quarter inch above award ribbons if worn.
One law enforcement-related pin may be worn on the right pocket flap of shirts and jackets.
One tie bar or tie tack may be worn with a tie. The tie bar must be plain or display a law enforcement-related representation and must be worn parallel to the gold buttons.
Tie tacks must be plain or display a law enforcement-related representation.
The City of Saint Paul longevity pin may be worn on the right-side shirt collar.

Rank Insignia:
Rank will be designated with the following insignias:

Chief of Police - 3 gold colored stars
Assistant Chief - 2 gold colored stars
Deputy Chief – 1 gold colored star
Senior Commander - gold colored eagle
Commander - gold colored oak leaf
Sergeant - blue chevron

Rank insignia will be displayed as follows:

Regular uniform shirt:

Commander and above: gold insignia embroidered on soft shoulder boards, worn on the shirt epaulets
Sergeants: blue chevrons on both sleeves, centered 4 ¼ inches below the shoulder seam

Outerwear (except rain gear):

Commander and above: gold colored metal insignia, secured to the outerwear epaulets
Sergeants: blue chevrons on both sleeves, centered 4 ¼ inches below the shoulder seam

Service Stripes:

Service Stripes are authorized to be worn on the long-sleeved shirt. Each stripe will represent 5 years of service. Stripes are not mandatory and are optional for all ranks. Stripes will be worn on the left sleeve, centered between the natural bend of the elbow and the top seam of the sleeve cuff. Service stripes will not be worn on any other garment, including outer jackets or blouse jackets.

Other Outerwear:
The following may be worn during appropriate weather conditions or as designated:

Rain gear: raincoat and garrison hat cover, and rain pants (rain pants may be worn when exposed to rain for an extended period of time)
Cold weather pants: department approved cold weather pants can be worn when exposed to inclement weather for extended periods of time.
Gloves and mittens: solid black
Scarf: solid black or solid navy blue (may be worn under an outer garment only)
Sweater: department-approved with appropriate insignia (patches, name, rank, etc.)
Balaclava (garment that covers head and neck): department-approved balaclava may be worn as a cold weather option during traffic direction details or when exposed to inclement weather for extended periods of time.

Coveralls:
For certain temporary details in which officers may get dirty (accident reconstruction, etc.), the designated Saint Paul Police Department coveralls may be worn over the regular uniform with supervisory approval.

Watch:
All sworn personnel must have a watch or equivalent timekeeping device while on duty.

Award Ribbons:

Commendation ribbons are required when wearing the class A and class B uniforms. Ribbons are optional when wearing the class C uniform.

Commendation ribbons will be worn with the bottom edge of the commendation ribbon parallel to the top edge of the right shirt pocket and one-quarter inch above the name tag or embroidered name. The commendation(s) will be centered on the shirt button. The commendations will be worn with the highest award worn closest to the badge side and on the top-most row, if two or more rows are displayed. At no time will more than three awards be displayed in a single row.

Order of precedence for awards approved for uniform wear:

Medal of valor
Chief’s Shield
Distinguished Service Award
Lifesaving award
Medal of merit
Officer / detective / civilian employee of the year
Rowan award
Chief’s award for valor or merit (if awarded to uniformed officers)
Medal of commendation
Unit citation
Achievement
Bomb Squad, S.W.A.T. and Negotiator
Mobile Field Force
Top gun
RNC service ribbon
Military service ribbon
Longevity ribbon
Field training officer service bar
Non-departmental awards (as approved by the Chief of Police)

Distribution and Parameters wearing of the Field Training Officer (FTO) bar:

The FTO service bar was created to recognize current FTOs for their commitment to the FTO program and as a way for all others to identify an officer as an FTO. This bar is a way for the Department to officially recognize an officer for their willingness to take on additional responsibilities and showing their dedication and contribution to the Saint Paul Police Department.

The bar may be distributed to and worn by former FTOs, current FTOs assigned to the Operations Division or Training Unit officers currently working with new officers/recruits. It shall be worn at the officer’s discretion in the same manner as all other recognition bars, on the right side over the officer’s name.

Other Rules:

Body Armor and Body Worn Camera (BWC):
All sworn personnel regardless of uniform/attire are required to wear bullet resistant body armor and their Body Worn Camera (BWC) while performing any of the following:

All uniform patrol duties, including district squads, beats, traffic, canine, and special events.
Working surveillance details or operations involving the potential arrest of suspects.
Execution of search or arrest warrants. The exception to this would be search warrants where there is no potential of a threat or officer safety issue, such as bank warrants, cell phone warrants, vehicle warrants for searches at the impound lot or police facility, etc.
All uniformed off-duty employment.
Any assignment deemed to be of a high-risk nature as determined by a supervisor or commanding officer.

The wearing of bullet resistant body armor is optional when assigned to office duty and not working any of the above listed duties.

Any sworn personnel not required to wear bullet resistant body armor or BWC will have it readily available at their primary assignment location.

Bullet resistant body armor will be composed of materials that meet or exceed the National Institute of Justice standards for threat level IIA.

Executive Body Armor – Command Staff:

An alternative to the bullet resistant body armor worn by sworn personnel is available for Commanders, Senior Commanders, Deputy Chiefs, the Assistant Chief, and the Chief. This body armor is referred to as an “Executive” model and can be worn as an alternative to the body armor required for line officers. This body armor meets the NIJ standards for threat level IIA.

External Vest Carrier (EVC)

The External Vest Carrier (EVC) is made to mirror the standard blue SPPD uniform shirt. It has epaulets and pocket flaps that match the current uniform shirt. The external vest carrier may only be worn over the approved SPPD short-sleeve, Armorskin Shirt or the long-sleeve Armorskin shirt while wearing the turtleneck with the exception of the Command Staff as listed below under the External Vest Carrier – Command Staff section. A metal Department badge and SPPD polished brass buttons must be worn on the EVC at all times. Officers will display their name on their EVC. Names will be gold-colored, embroidered, one-quarter inch above, and parallel to the top of the right EVC shirt pocket.

The external vest carrier must be kept clean, laundered and pressed. The external vest carrier may not be worn when the Class A uniform is required.

Effective March 1, 2016, the blue quilted vest carrier is not authorized to be worn with the uniform.

External Vest Carrier – Command Staff:

Understanding that Senior Commanders and Commanders may be deployed to a scene or incident from an assignment where the wearing of body armor is optional, Senior Commanders and Commanders may wear the external vest carrier (EVC) over their uniform shirt of the day for such deployments. This exception is not authorized for the Class A uniform.

Senior Commanders and Commanders may wear the Armorskin shirt with the EVC while working off-duty employment or during special details (e.g. Xcel details, Hmong New Year, etc.) to include Mobile Field Force deployments. Senior Commanders and Commanders are not authorized to wear the Armorskin shirt as a stand-alone uniform shirt (i.e. without the external vest carrier).

Off-Duty Employment:

See General Order 231.00: Off-Duty Employment for further details.

Unit-Specific Uniforms:

Officers assigned to certain units may need to wear a specific uniform. Refer to the Saint Paul Police Department Uniform Guide for specifics.

Revised May 18, 2020

202.03 Uniform Classes and Rules

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