By Ryan Osborne
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
MESQUITE, Texas — When Mesquite police Chief Charles Cato got the job last year, one of the changes he put in place was giving his officers the option to wear an alternative hat as part of their uniforms.
Cato’s cops responded in true Texas fashion.
As of Friday, 180 of the Dallas suburb’s 220 officers were wearing cowboy hats on a regular basis, according to a city press release.
The hats aren’t mandatory, but they are city-provided at $46 apiece. The officers chose the hat -- a black straw Resistol -- over several other options, including a drill sergeant-style hat, the press release said.
“This cowboy hat is a benefit the police officers asked for, and I am grateful the City of Mesquite was able to provide it,” Cato said in the release.