Some even sported pocket protectors with the Menlo Park police logo on them that would slide into the pocket of their dress shirts.īut the new look was only the most visible reform that Cizanckas introduced. In their new blazer uniforms, the Menlo Park police looked more like preppy college students (or detectives) than traditional law enforcement officers. Instead of a metal badge, the blazer sported an embroidered patch that looked a little like a coat of arms. Guns and handcuffs remained hidden under the coat. But Cizanckas thought that look was too intimidating and aggressive, so he traded it for slacks, dress shirts with ties, and a blazer. Image courtesy of the Menlo Park Police Department.įor many years, the Menlo Park police had worn some variation of the traditional, pseudo-military, dark blue uniform. Lieutenant Richard Hutton in the blazer uniform. One of the most ground-breaking and controversial was the new blazer-style uniform he implemented. After years of clashing with protesters, the police department didn’t have the best reputation.Ĭizanckas wanted to rebuild trust with the community - and he made a number of changes to improve the department’s image. Leaders in the African-American communities of Belle Haven and East Palo Alto were organizing to demand better treatment and services. ![]() There were big student-led, anti-war demonstrations at nearby Stanford University. The 1960s had been a turbulent decade in Menlo Park, a small city with wide suburban streets and manicured lawns just south of San Francisco. His name was Victor Cizanckas and his main goal was to reform the department, which had a strained relationship with the community at the time. In 1968, the police department in Menlo Park, California hired a new police chief.
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