Police uniforms in the United States

Law enforcement in the United States
Law Courts Corrections
Separation of powers
Legislative Executive Judicial
Jurisdiction
Federal Tribal State County Local Military
Legal context
Criminal procedure Reasonable suspicion Probable cause Miranda warning Arrest Arrest warrant Searches and seizures Terry stop Exculpatory evidence Fruit of the poisonous tree Actual innocence Criminal investigation Criminal psychology
Prosecution
U.S. Attorney State attorney general State's attorney and district attorney
Lists of law enforcement agencies
Federal State and local State corrections District of Columbia
Police operations/organization/issues
Police certification and licensure Internal affairs Police union Ranks Uniforms Decorations Police vehicles Ethics Deadly force Killings by law enforcement Militarization of police Police reform Body camera D.A.R.E. Traffic stop Informants Criminal justice reform Women in law enforcement Gangs in law enforcement
Types of agency
State police / highway patrol State bureau of investigation Campus police Park police Coast guard Special police Military police
Types of law enforcement officers
Patrol officer Detective SWAT Police dog (K-9) Sheriff and sheriff's deputy Bailiff County detective State trooper Game warden Tribal officer Indian agent Lighthorse Correction officer Probation and parole officer Probation officer Park ranger Federal air marshal Marshal and deputy marshal Special agent
See also
Private police Police dispatcher Coroner Medical examiner Medical jurisprudence
Crime Terrorism Criminology
v t e

Police uniforms in the United States vary widely due to the nation's tradition of highly decentralized law enforcement. Over time, however, a number of general conventions and styles have become representative of American police fashion. Police officers wear uniforms to deter crime by establishing a visible presence while on patrol, to make themselves easily identifiable to non-police officers or to their colleagues who require assistance, and to quickly identify each other at crime scenes for ease of coordination.