Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

POLICE DRESS TUNIC

Date Range From

1967

Date Range To

1981

Materials

WOOL, RAYON

No. Pieces

3

Length

84

Width

47.8

Description

NAVY BLUE/BLACK HIGH COLLAR DRESS TUNIC. FOUR SILVER BUTTONS AT FRONT CLOSURE. SILVER BUTTON ALSO ON EACH OF FOUR FRONT POCKETS. TWO ON EACH SLEEVE CUFF. LEFT SLEEVE OF UNIFORM HAS MARKSMAN BADGE ABOVE CUFF, AND THREE GOLD STARS ON UPPER SLEEVE. RIGHT HAS CHEVRON WITH THREE GOLD STRIPES. BRASS COLLAR DOGS ARE OF LETHBRIDGE CITY POLICE CREST. BRASS SHOULDER TITLES READING "POLICE" ON BOTH SHOULDERS. DETACHABLE WHITE COLLAR; STAMPED "TIP TOP TAILORED MADE IN ENGLAND". UNIFORM INCLUDES GOLD LANYARD AROUND RIGHT SHOULDER. BELT MISSING TAG INSIDE LEFT BREAST POCKET READS "24239 - JOHN BLACK DON LEE 6-3-68".

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

SAFETY SERVICES

History

FROM LETHBRIDGE POLICE COLLECTION. FORMAL DRESS UNIFORM; WOULD BE WORN WITH RED BELT, WHITE GLOVES AND WELLINGTONS. DON LEE CLAIMED IN 2006 THAT THE UNIFORM’S SERGEANTS’ CHEVRON WAS ADDED IN 1981. BASED ON CHEVRON’S LACK OF CROWN AND 3 STARS (1 FOR EVERY FIVE YEARS) ON OPPOSITE ARM’S CUFF, HE WOULD DATE UNIFORM’S LAST DAYS OF WEAR TO APPROXIMATELY 1982. THE GOLD LANYARD WAS STANDARD WEAR WITH THE DRESS TUNIC. ANYONE WEARING THE NON-DRESS, SERVICE TUNIC WORE A WHITE LANYARD. THE UNIFORM WAS THE FIRST FORMAL TUNIC OF ITS KIND TO BE ISSUED TO POLICE OFFICERS. LEE RECALLED WEARING IT ON REMEMBRANCE DAYS, FOR MEDAL CEREMONIES AND FOR THE POLICEMAN’S BALL. IT CAME WITH A WIDE-STRIPPED PANT THAT FEATURED AN ELASTIC STRAP THAT WENT AROUND THE WEARER’S BOOT HEEL. THE PANTS WERE WORN SUSPENDERS – NO BELT. LEE BEGAN HIS SERVICE WITH THE LETHBRIDGE CITY POLICE IN 1967. IN 1995, BY THE TIME OF HIS RETIREMENT, HE HAD BEEN PROMOTED UP THROUGH THE RANKS TO THE OFFICE OF ACTING CHIEF OF POLICE. HIGHLIGHTS OF HIS SERVICE INCLUDE SUPERVISING 70 UNIFORMED RANKS IN TRAFFIC AND PATROL DIVISIONS, 2ND IN COMMAND FOR MAJOR CRIME INVESTIGATION, S.W.A.T. COMMANDER AND MEMBER RECRUITING AND TRAINING. AT THE TIME THAT HE WORE THE UNIFORM, LEE WAS IN THE PATROL AND TRAFFIC DIVISIONS, PROVIDING FIRST RESPONSE TO MAJOR INCIDENTS IN ADDITION TO INVESTIGATING VEHICLE ACCIDENTS AND ENFORCING TRAFFIC LAWS. FOR MORE DETAILS ON HIS CAREER, SEE THE HARDCOPY FILE. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING SOME DONATED BY THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE POLICE SERVICES. FOR A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE LETHBRIDGE POLICE COLLECTION, SEE RECORD P19960112001. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE POLICE SERVICES AND TRANSCRIPTS OF INTERVIEWS AND CORRESPONDENCE WITH CURRENT AND FORMER LETHBRIDGE POLICE, SEE PERMANENT FILE P19960112000.

Catalogue Number

P19960112115

Acquisition Date

1996-12

Collection

Museum

Less detail