The men and women fighting crime may be less threatening to the public if they wore a certain shade of blue.
Queensland police asked 1,000 people which hue of blue was more approachable to them when they saw officers on the street.
They found a less militaristic-looking uniform made the public feel less threatened, as the police service designs a new uniform.
The police officers from Brisbane’s Upper Mount Gravatt in light-blue shirts as ‘approachable’
These police women from Cairns display tasers on their belts, which gives them authority
The ‘most approachable’ uniform featured a light blue shirt without a load-bearing vest for a gun and a taser.
However, a police uniform was regarded as having more legitimacy if it featured a dark-blue shirt with a firearm placed in a thigh holster and a taser on the hip.
The Queensland Police Service asked the University of Queensland to conduct an online poll to gauge public reaction on shades of blue as it plans a new uniform.
‘The introduction of new uniform and equipment has the potential to make officers appear too tactical, and may therefore negatively impact the way members of the community view the police,’ the police said.
This officer from Gympie, north of Brisbane, has a dark uniform that is more militaristic looking
The Queensland Police asked the public to rate uniforms featuring dark and light-blue shirts
The police are seeking a balance between making the police appear approachable and legitimate to the public.
The survey found a taser positioned on an officer’s hip made them less approachable to the public.
When it came to different circumstances, a uniform with a light-blue was regarded as more appropriate for community events like a school visit.
However, a dark-blue shirt exuded more authority for tense situations like crowd control.
These officers from Pullenvale in Brisbane’s leafy west have their firearms and tasers on show
This officer from Townsville in north Queensland wears a uniform suited to crowd control
Queensland Police asked the University of Queensland to help them gauge public reaction
‘This will likely ensure maximum co-operation and approval from the public,as high ratings of police legitimacy have been linked to public satisfaction and law-abiding behaviour,’ the police said.
Women and older people were generally more trusting of police, giving a high rating to police uniforms regardless of the shade for legitimacy and approachability.
People in the city and country also had the same perception of police uniforms.