Deputy uniforms get update

Kootenai County sheriff’s deputies wanted something more comfortable, less stiff, not so hot and cheaper to clean.

Sheriff Rocky Watson was considering the request to replace deputies’ old wool, dry-clean-only uniforms when the county’s purchasing agent said they had better act soon. It was getting nearly impossible to find replacements.

Watson joked Tuesday that the department had to hire new employees who were the same size as those they replaced. Uniforms were taken from detectives and others who spent more time in the office than out in the field, just so the new recruits would have something to wear.

“It was becoming a scavenger operation,” Watson said.

As the new year began, deputies donned the department’s new duds – uniforms that Watson says are cheaper, more comfortable and require less maintenance.

The most notable differences between the two uniforms are the material and the color.

The old light-tan and brown uniforms were made of heavy wool. Deputies had to pay out of their own pockets to have the uniforms cleaned – about $3 to $4 up to three times a week.

The new uniforms are a solid dark-brown. The fabric – 64 percent polyester, 34 percent rayon and a touch of spandex – is machine washable.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Lisa Carrington wore the old uniforms for 16 years. They’ll still be used for special events, parades and funerals.

“I can’t count how many times I tore the knees out on my pants,” she said. The tan pants also dirtied easily – especially in a county where more than half the roads are dirt.

Now, “I’m not afraid to get up underneath cars if I need to,” she said.

The new uniforms also have more storage space, said Sgt. Stuart Miller. The pants have large cargo pockets, and there are also roomy pockets hidden on each side of the chest where deputies can stash paperwork.

Miller said he also likes the extra mobility that the new uniforms allow.

“They’re action-backed,” he said, demonstrating how the deep pleats at the shoulders of the uniform allow more range of motion – without fear of ripping a seam. “It’s a utility uniform, and for the job we do on the street, it’s more effective.”