Previous studies on police uniforms have found uniform color and style continue to evolve as do the dynamics around police uniforms and citizen impression. Given no research has been done specifically on police gang unit uniforms, this study was exploratory and aimed to determine if there was a visual standard regarding the operational appearance of police gang unit uniforms in Canada and the United States. Using targeted and purposive sampling the researcher collected 64 samples of digital images containing police gang unit officers in uniform for content analysis. The analyzed data yielded quantitative statistics that were applied to the primary research question. These statistics found that police gang unit officers in Canada and the United States are most likely to deploy in a unit-specific police uniform, that is black in color, visually identifies as a gang unit (by patch or crest), and be wearing external body armor that is black in color. The researcher suggests the study’s findings be applied to further research to determine the potential implications police gang crime unit uniforms may have on citizen impression. All of which contributes to the ongoing debates around the militarization of the police.
