By Anjulie Van Sickle
The Dallas Morning News
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — The Grand Prairie Police Department is saddling up and saying, “Howdy, y’all,” while donning brand-new cowboy hats as part of a recent uniform change.
The waterproof cowboy hats have been implemented to protect officers from the extreme Texas weather, department spokeswoman Chelsea Kretz said.
The department pulled from its Western heritage in choosing this new look.
The new hats will be distributed just in time for the Cowboy Cops Rodeo in September, which will benefit Special Olympics Texas. Many officers compete in traditional rodeo events alongside their family members during the annual competition.
About 30 to 40 out of the department’s 270 officers have the new cowboy hats right now, Kretz said.
Although the department does not require officers to wear the hats, demand has been high enough that the Fort Worth store that supplies them ran out and had to order more for the department, she said.
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