Vermont State Police - History - Establishing Uniforms

Establishing Uniforms

The Vermont State Police uniform was modeled on the U.S. Marine Corps uniform of the mid-twentieth century, but adopted Vermont's state colors of green and gold, and remains a lasting legacy of Major General Edson.

Twenty-seven officers from the Department of Motor Vehicles Highway Patrol were incorporated into the new department. Troopers were outfitted with khaki shirts with contrasting shoulder passant, cuffs, and pocket lapels on Fern green and trimmed in Old Gold galloon. A Fern green necktie is worn. A cloisonné coat of arms of Vermont in gold and enamel is worn on the shirt collars. Most members of the force wore Fern green breeches with a single or double Old Gold colored leg stripe, wool tunics of the same colors, a black Sam Browne belt and jackboot. The uniform remains with little modification. The Second World War association of breeches and jackboots with Nazism caused many U.S. state and municipal forces to curtail use of breeches and jackboots except for mounted horse and motor patrols. In Vermont both troopers and game wardens of the state's Department of Fish and Game transitioned away from the breeches and high polished black boots to tailored trousers, retaining the Old Gold leg stripes.

The stripes of senior officers, that rank below Lieutenant, are sewn onto the uniform pointing down, or similar to the British military forces and British police forces. This makes the VSP one of few American police departments that do so.