Summer

Skirts go ! New uniform reflects women officers' changing role AFTER extensive trial-wear and consultation with females in the Force, the Secretary for Secruity and the Se cretary for Civil Service have apporved several changes to women police officers' uniforms. Skirts will be replaced by trousers. The winter uniform wi ll consists of dark blue tunic and trousers made of barathea material, while in summer women police will don kh aki (green) tunic and trousers in polyester. Meanwhile, th e currently worn cravat will be replaced by a tie for th e winter uniform, and shirts change from grey to blue - t he same colour worn by their male collegues. Trousers of both summer and winter uniforms will have cuffs tapered lo wer from front to back. Although some women officers have been wearing the new uniform in a trial project for over a year now, it will start being issued forcewide for this winter. The replacement period will continue through the summer of 1998.

The change in uniform was taken in parallel with the decision that women police would carry firearms. "Tht traditional skirted uniform was therefore no longer co mpatible with women's changed role. So, in conjunction wi th the study on women officers carrying firearms, another exercise was conducted to design a new uniform for wo men officers that was both comfortable and practical. Ne w women recruits at the Police Training School after January 1995, and women officers who volunteered for firearm training were issued the new uniform in a trial-wear project," said Superintendent (Field) of Support Wing, Charles Mitchell. "This decision to change th e uniform was made in 1994. It has nothing whatsover to do with the handover." The new features of the uniform have been wel-received and wh en staff associations were consulted they also endorsed th e change but asked to retain a set of the current uniform with skirt for special occasions such as parades, fo rmal interviews and when attending meetings or events re presenting the Force. "As a result, women officers will keep one set of their cu rrent uniform for those occasions," said SP Mitchell. "I n the minds of the public and the women officers themselves, it encapsulates both their femininity and the im age of the Force."

Winter

SDU WOWS CONSULAR CORPS (1) (2) & (3) SDU officers demonstrate their shooting skills at the 100 - metre firing range (4) Four assault team members launch an onslaught on a building (5) Two assault team members absail down a building during an assault exercise (6) Consular Corps members get a first-hand look at the infinite capabilities of the Special Duties Unit (1)¡@ (2)¡@¡@¡@¡@¡@ ¡@(3) (4) (5) (6)