Madison's Finest Dubbed Best Dressed

The North American Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors have awarded the Madison Police Department the 2013 Public Safety Uniform of the Year Award in the Under 100 Officers category. 

Madison Police Officer Joseph Race, the department spokesman, said submissions were judged by a set of criteria designed to recognize excellence in the development and design of the multi-faceted programs required by 21st century Public Safety Organizations.

Race said the judging criteria for this award include:

• Overall design excellence of the Uniform Program
• Innovative design for use within the environment and special conditions in which the uniform must be worn.
• Effectiveness in meeting the image goals of the Department (i.e., SWAT Team, Special Services, etc.),
• Innovative use of fabric, design and accessories in developing a uniform most fitting the Departments requirements.
• Overall attractiveness of the entire program
• Effectiveness of the design in identifying each Department Team for the benefit of the Public, and other on-site agencies.

The policeone.com website says being properly uniformed is important for a number of reasons: 

The uniform of a police officer conveys the power and authority of the person wearing it. Clothing, including the police uniform, has been found to have a powerful psychological impact on those who view it. When humans contact other humans they subconsciously search for clues about the other person so that they can understand the context of the encounter. The police uniform is a powerful clue as to the wearer''s authority, capabilities, and status. Research has revealed that the uniform has a subconscious psychological influence on people, based on the person''s preconceived feelings about police officers. When a person wears the police uniform, citizens tend to be more cooperative with his or her requests. People also tend to curb their illegal or deviant behaviors when a police uniform is visible in the area.

Read more at policeone.com.

Having the same uniform also contributes to a sense of community, sense of belonging among those who wear the uniform, according to this article on Five Reasons Why Wearing A Uniform Is Important.