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RESOLUTION NO. R-1314-105: A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, APPROPRIATING $19,779 FROM THE STATE SEIZURE FUND BALANCE TO FUND UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT NEEDS FOR THE NORMAN POLICE HONOR GUARD.
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BACKGROUND: Prior to 1991, members of the Norman Police Emergency Response Team (currently referred to as SWAT) performed all honor guard events. In 1991, the department established an all-volunteer honor guard. Initially, this group included officers and paramedics, who banded together to provide ceremonial funeral support for public safety personnel, both active and retired, and their immediate family. Over the years, the team has increased its presence, participating in parades, graduations, opening ceremonies for Special Olympics, sporting events, etc.
In 2010, the Norman Police Honor Guard formed a partnership with local public safety agencies and created the Cleveland County Joint Honor Guard, which consists of team members from the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, University of Oklahoma Police Department, Norman Fire Department and Norman Regional Hospital EMSSTAT.
The Norman Police Honor Guard is currently authorized nineteen members, consisting of eighteen commissioned officers and one police Chaplain. The team members represented the City and the department at twenty-five events during 2013.
DISCUSSION: The Norman Police Honor Guard has gone through two uniform changes, the most recent in 1995, when the department transitioned from brown uniforms to blue. The majority of police honor guard uniforms today are distinctive ceremonial attire which are highly visible representations of their respective agencies. Presently, the core element of the team’s dress is a standard Class-A police uniform. A major uniform or equipment purchase for the honor guard has never occurred during the history of the department or the team.
The desire is to use the funds described below to upgrade the team’s uniform to a distinctive, strictly ceremonial, dress that is similar to but distinguishable from the standard Class-A police uniform. It is the opinion of all concerned within the department that such attire will bring favorable attention to the City and the department, while building the “esprit de corp” of the team itself.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that $19,779 be appropriated from the State Seizure and Restitution Fund Balance (account 025-0000-253.20-00) and be allocated to Uniforms (account 025-6035-421.35-03) to fund new uniforms and equipment for the team.