Stafford, Va. The Stafford County Sheriff Charles Jett, and his deputies, announces that all patrol officers will be wearing new uniforms starting Monday, March 21.

The new uniforms are a change from the usual brown uniform that Stafford County Sheriff's Office deputies have historically worn. The new uniform will have black pants and a tan shirt with black epaulets, black tie and black leather accessories.

The need for the new uniforms has been necessitated due to the difficulty of acquiring new or replacement uniforms and accessories in the current brown color. Certain components of the brown uniform have become increasingly difficult to attain, or in some cases, replace due to the uniform manufactures no longer producing needed components. A number of Sheriff's Offices across the state have already made a change for the same reasons. Last year Stafford deputies repainted their own various leather accessories, i.e., duty belt, holster, hat etc. instead of buying new black accessories due to the manufacturer increasing the cost of the brown leather accessories. These same accessories will be used with the new uniforms. The money used to purchase the new uniforms is coming from monies attained from drug forfeiture assets at no cost to citizens. Federal drug forfeiture laws allow law enforcement agencies to use funds confiscated during drug operations for uniforms and equipment.

The new uniforms will enhance the professionalism and appearance of the Stafford deputies in keeping with one of the core values of the Stafford County Sheriff's Office which is professionalism. The purchase of the new uniform will also be a cost saving measure in the long run due to uniform manufacturers charging higher prices for the less used brown uniforms. In addition, the brown uniforms once used by Stafford deputies will be sold to other law enforcement agencies in the state.

Sample photos of the new uniform may be viewed by going to www.staffordsheriff.com.