Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

HAT

Date Range From

1975

Date Range To

1984

Materials

CLOTH

No. Pieces

1

Height

9.5

Length

26.5

Width

21.0

Description

NAVY BASEBALL CAP, PATCH ON FRONT OF CAP WITH YELLOW EMBROIDERED TEXT READING, "CITY OF LETHBRIDGE POLICE FORCE." LABEL ON INSIDE PROPER LEFT OF CAP READS, "CALI FAME OF LOS ANGELES, M."

Subjects

CLOTHING-HEADWEAR

Historical Association

SAFETY SERVICES

History

ACCORDING TO DONOR GLEN MICHELSON AT TIME OF DONATION, THIS CAP WAS PART OF A SWAT UNIFORM. THE UNIFORM ALSO INCLUDED A COAT, PANTS AND MISCELLANEOUS PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. THE SWAT TEAM WAS FORMED BY CHIEF RALPH MICHELSON. ACCORDING TO THE DONOR IT WAS FORMED "IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY; IT WAS A GOOD CHOICE TO HAVE A TEAM, LIKE OTHER CITIES, IT WAS NEEDED." MICHELSON WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE NAMES OF OTHER TEAM MEMBERS, HOWEVER, HE DID SAY TEAMS WERE FORMED THROUGH BOTH VOLUNTEERS AND SELECTED MEMBERS. DESIREABLE TRAITS FOR SWAT TEAM MEMBERS INCLUDED EXPERTISE IN USE AND TRAINING WITH REGARD TO FIREARMS, GOOD COMMON SENSE AND GOOD PHYSICAL CONDITION. MICHELSON SAID, "SOME (OF OUR) TRAINING (TOOK PLACE) IN LETHBRIDGE. OUR TEAM TRAINED WITH FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI) TEAMS IN BUTTE, MONTANA, AND BOZEMAN, MONTANA, A WEEK IN EACH PLACE." THE TEAM OFTEN TRAINED AT THE LETHBRIDGE POLICE RANGE. THEY LEARNED TO USE M16 FULLY AUTOMATIC RIFLES (308 CALIBRE), REMINGTON MODEL 870 SHOTGUNS, SNIPER RIFLES 223 CALIBRE, GAS EQUIPMENT, REVOLVERS AND AUTOMATIC WEAPONS. MICHELSON SERVED AS A LEADER OF THE SWAT TEAM. HE WAS IN CHARGE OF GOOD TRAINING. HE WAS A MEMBER FOR APPROXIMATELY TEN YEARS. THE EARLIEST REFERENCE TO A LETHBRIDGE SWAT TEAM DATES TO 1975. ACCORDING TO THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, ON APRIL 29, 1975, CHIEF RALPH MICHELSON WAS PURCHASING SHOTGUNS, BULLET-PROOF VESTS, FACIAL HOODS AND BOMB DISPOSAL EQUIMENT FOR THE SWAT TEAM. GLEN MICHELSON RETIRED FROM THE POLICE FORCE IN 1984. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Catalogue Number

P20080010001

Acquisition Date

2008-03

Collection

Museum

Less detail