Police officers working in downtown Calgary will soon sport a distinctly western fashion accessory: cowboy hats.
According to city officials, the new hats are both fashionable and user-friendly.
Officers walking the downtown beat cover about 12 kilometres on a shift, and the patrol extends around the clock -- from the hottest summer days to the coldest winter nights.
"They need a broader brimmed hat for those days when it's really sunny out," Calgary Police Chief Rick Hanson told CTV News on Tuesday. "The forage cap doesn't provide the level of protection that a cowboy hat does."
Mayor Dave Bronconnier says the hats will be good for the city's image, and will make police appear more approachable.
"Wearing that cowboy hat is certainly very inviting, and if our officers are wearing it, I fully support them ... as part of their uniform," he said.
The hats will be worn year-round by 65 police officers. Currently, the officers wear the hats during the Calgary Stampede.
While the city will have to pony up about $12,000 for 65 hats, the company that makes them says their product lasts for a decade.
Company spokesman Brian Hanson said that the hats are interwoven with tiny barbs on each fibre, making them durable and hardy in the toughest conditions.
"They don't pull apart, and that's what makes a good hat," said Hanson.
While some officers expressed some issues about the uniform change, others were behind it.
When asked if the hats make officers appear less tough, Const. John Pearson said that the uniform is only a small part of the job.
"Being tough enough has more to do with the way we do our jobs than what we wear," he said.
With a report from CTV Calgary's Tara Robinson
