GENERAL NOTICE 90-03 (REVISED)

To:                All Chief Executive Officers

From:             T. William Knapp, Executive Director

Date:             March 10, 1998

Subject:         Dress Code for POST Council Training

This Notice re-establishes a dress code policy for all P.O.S.T. Council-sponsored training programs. The purpose of this policy is to provide a clothing standard for all personnel attending, or instructing, training programs sponsored by the P.O.S.T. Council, whether at the Connecticut Police Academy, or satellite academies or at other training locations. This policy is designed to enhance the professionalism of the participants and to create a better learning environment.

Under this policy, all police officers are required to wear either their departmental uniform of the day or business attire, when participating in training programs sponsored by the P.O.S.T. Council. This includes all day and evening classes for basic training, in-service training and part-time police officer block training.

Acceptable Attire

A. Male Personnel:

Basic Training Students (full-time students at Connecticut Police Academy and all satellite academies) - an official uniform as prescribed by the Basic Training Academy command structure.

All students of P.O.S.T. Council-sponsored training courses, programs or seminars (including part-time basic training block students) - the official uniform prescribed by their department; OR a suit or sports jacket with dress shirt, dress slacks and tie, OR dress shirt and sweater; OR dress slacks with coordinated open-collar dress shirt.

All P.O.S.T. Council Instructors (including staff, adjuncts, block and contract vendors) - the official uniform prescribed by their department OR a suit or sports jacket with dress shirt, dress slacks and tie; OR a dress shirt, dress slacks and tie, except a tie is not required during the summer season.

B. Female Personnel:

Basic Training Students (full-time students at Connecticut Police Academy and all satellite academies) - an official uniform as prescribed by the Basic Training Academy command structure.

All students of P.O.S.T. Council-sponsored training courses, programs or seminars (including part-time basic training block students) - the official uniform prescribed by their department, OR a suit, OR a dress; OR a skirt and coordinated blouse or sweater combination; OR dress slacks and coordinated blouse or sweater.

All P.O.S.T. Council Instructors (including staff, adjuncts, block and contract vendors) - the official uniform prescribed by their department OR a suit; OR a dress; OR a skirt and coordinated blouse or sweater combination; OR dress slacks and coordinated blouse or sweater.

Unacceptable Attire

Some examples of unacceptable attire, while not a complete list are:

T-shirts, polo shirts, flannel shirts, sweatshirts, etc.

Running/athletic attire

Shorts

Jeans, denims, dungarees (all colors)

Sandals, workboots, sneakers (except black uniform sneakers)

Exceptions to This Policy

Some examples of proper exceptions to this policy, while not a complete list, are:

Officers taking part in courses which involved physical activity that require specific clothing, e.g., defensive tactics, physical fitness, firearms training. Personnel will dress in clothing appropriate to the training activity.

Course announcements will stipulate whether the dress code policy is/is not in effect for specific sessions.

The P.O.S.T. Council staff will distribute copies of this General Notice with each course-approved registration form and at the beginning of all in-service sessions. Department Training Officers are required to brief their participating personnel on the content of the dress code and assure that each attendee has a copy of the policy before the approved officer attends the training session.

Violations of the dress code will be handled as follows:

The in-service training coordinators (for In-Service Courses) or the Instructor (for Basic/Block) will advise the participant that he/she is in violation of the dress code requirements and that their Chief Executive Officer and/or Training Officer will be notified. If the violation re-occurs, the participant will be dismissed from the program and the Chief Executive Officer of the participant’s department will be notified in writing of the violation and of the dismissal.

Instructors found to be in violation will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.