COAT

Description: BROWN 3/4 LENGTH BUFFALO FUR COAT, COTTON QUILT LINING. WOOD BUTTONS & LEATHER LOOP. 2 OUTSIDE, 1 INSIDE POCKET. SMALL CHAIN SEWN IN FOR HANGING. BUTTONS NOT ORIGINAL. TORN ALONG BACK & AROUND SHOULDER. SEE CONSERVATION REPORT.

History: BUFFALO COATS USED BY CITY POLICE UNTIL ABOUT THE 1960'S. REPLACED BY LIGHTER COATS & JACKETS. BETWEEN 2008 AND 2009, RET. LETHBRIDGE POLICE SUPERINTENDENT GLEN MICHELSON STATED THAT THE FUR COATS WERE “A MUST WALKING THE BEATS ON COLD WINTER NIGHTS” FOR BEAT CONSTABLES. HE BELIEVED THAT THEY WERE TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE SOMETIME “AROUND 1956” AND REPLACED WITH “GREAT COATS AND PEA JACKETS”. MANY FUNNY RET. OFFICER STORIES EXIST AND MICHELSON ADDED THAT “AROUND 1948, GRANT YOUNG CONSTABLE WAS STANDING STILL AT THE CORNER OF 4TH AVENUE AND 6TH STREET AND A DOG USED HIM AS A FIRE HYDRANT.” *UPDATE*: ON NOVEMBER 24TH, 2016, UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE GRAD STUDENT JOSH READ, FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY, INTERVIEWED RETIRED LETHBRIDGE POLICE SERVICE (FORCE) MEMBER MARCEL ST. ONGE ON ACCOUNT OF HIS INTEREST IN THE FORCE’S PAST USE OF FUR CLOTHING IN POLICE PATROLS. ON DECEMBER 2ND, 2016, READ JOINTLY INTERVIEWED RETIREES BILL PLOMP AND GLEN MICHELSON ON THE SAME SUBJECT. TO READ COPIES OF THESE TWO INTERVIEWS, PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE FOR DONATION P20080002002.