Seattle’s finest modernises brand
Despite a crushing loss for the Seahawks in the Super Bowl this year, Seattle remains a sport-loving city. That makes the rebrand of its police force, carried out by local agency Dei Creative, a perhaps unintended, but overt nod to its football team.
The 1,820-strong Seattle Police Department (SPD) until this week wore a patch and shield that was designed in 1972 and based on a 1939-era flag. Its uniforms date even further back to 1962.
The force has been seeking alternatives for the past few years and, after two years of testing and an internal poll indicating that 70% were in favour of navy blue uniforms, the SPD alit on a new uniform style and provider. Along with the change comes a new badge.
The SPD says in a release, “With the change to a new uniform and patrol vehicle, it just made sense to reconsider the entire look of the department. The new design emphasizes simplicity and improved readability for quick identification, as well as bringing back the symbol of the City of Seattle, the Chief Seattle seal. The new patch keeps our current motto Service, Pride, Dedication (SPD).”
The navy-and-green theme recalls the colourings of Seattle’s two major sporting franchises – the Mariners and the Seahawks – thus clearly representing the city’s character.
But the changes at the SPD are more than skin – or patch – deep. The force is modernising in many ways. It announced that it would be retiring its outdated Crown Victoria cruisers in favour of the more capable Ford Interceptor SUVs which are more fuel efficient and offer more amenities suited to police work. All will bear the new branding. Protective vests for officers will be integrated into the new uniform shirts, rather than worn on top of them. Body cameras are also being integrated into the uniforms after a hackathon session determined how best to use the new technology in a safe, legal manner.
