English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
Should Police Change Their Uniform Color?
Dark Navy-Blue Police Uniforms Trigger Capiophobia Sufferers.
Police officer uniforms, badges, or the sound of their voices can trigger capiophobia symptoms in the capiophobe. Capiophobia (“fear of capi”) is the irrational fear of capis (police officer). This phobia can be so severe that the mere sight of a police officer can induce symptoms of anxiety and panic for some. Recent events have spread the fear of the police across the United States, creating reduced trust and communication between civilians and law enforcement.
Imagine Police Officers In Pink Or Purple Uniforms.
Can you imagine waking up one morning to observe an entirely new order to the color scheme of things? What would you say if you left your home for work one day and noticed that all the grass on the ground was not green anymore but instead purple?
You might now notice more details about the purple grass, like how many of your neighbors have grass in their front landscape or how many neighbors have neglected to mow their lawn. You notice the dead, dying purple grass instead of the lavishing healthy grass of some front yards on your street.
When psychologically conditioned to perceive and accept a standard color of an object or thing, we rarely notice the details, and our reactions to such things are limited in focus. Now imagine waking up to go to work. As you pass your neighborhood school crosswalk, you notice the police officer, who has been assisting the students to walk across safely for years, is not wearing a typical navy-blue uniform.
They are sporting a bright pink uniform instead. You might pause a bit before you press the gas pedal to go on your way. You may even find yourself trying to snap a photo of the pink police officer or smile to yourself on the rest of your commute to work. The reaction is because your eyes fed your brain an unexpected brand-new visual message about a police officer.
The visual appearance of capis, such as their uniforms or badges, or the sound of their voices can trigger capiophobia. It is common for phobias to be triggered visually, so many people afraid of snakes are only scared of the snakes they see.
Can A Pink Or Brighter Colored Police Officer Uniform Help Alleviate Global Capiophobia?
Pink has both a positive and negative connection with it. According to Color Psychology:
“Pink has many positive associations. It is a calming, non-threatening color. The color pink links us to innocence, hope, and optimism. It also represents positive aspects of traditional femininity, like nurture and kindness. Its negative sides are that it can seem weak, vulnerable, and silly. It is also linked to shallowness and not seeing reality.”
How does pink compare to the visual color psychology of blue?
According to Color Psychology:
“When it comes to psychology, blue can be associated with a few things. It’s associated with sadness. “Feeling blue” is a well-known phrase that refers to feeling sad or depressed.”
While assuming an entire pink uniform may appear a bit drastic in replacing the solid navy-blue law police uniform, perhaps a combination would be more approachable. Suppose police officers were allowed to wear lighter-colored tops in variety with their dark navy-blue pants.
Changing the uniform would help the capiophobe because the current police uniform triggers capiophobia symptoms in those who fear the police. Breaking up the current uniform color with a lighter-colored top is associated with producing “happy calming vibes” with people; this can assist in promoting a calming effect on the current capiophobia crisis.
It is common for phobias to be triggered visually, so many people afraid of snakes are only scared of the snakes they see—the appearance of police, such as their uniforms or badges, or the sound of their voices ignites the fear of the police in a capiophobe. A pink or lighter color uniform worn by a police officer would likely not trigger the capiophobe to become immediately afraid of the officer.
Changing The Police Uniform Color May Assist The Capiophobe In Changing Their Perspective Of Police Officers.
What would happen if the police force partnered with the Susan G Komen Foundation for a year in a fundraising event? Suppose this charitable program is offered voluntarily to police officers as an optional participation program. The police officer would have to donate a percentage of his pay for a year to the fundraising event, and the employer (the police department) would match it by 3%. In addition, all fundraising program participants must wear a bright pink-colored Susan G. Komen Foundation top for a year.
Donating to a charity associated with a painful cause, like finding the cure for breast cancer, can be relatable to all people of all races worldwide. By making this program announcement public, the world would become aware that they may soon see a pink uniformed police officer in their neighborhood. Police participation in a joint fundraising event with the Susan G. Komen Foundation might very well receive a positive reaction from the public.
Civilians may then be able to witness a shift in the atmosphere. The ambiance may suddenly change in our society as we, the civilians, can visually identify the kinder generous police officers apart from the fundraiser’s non-participating police officers. I am not suggesting that non-participating police officers are mean people. Participating in the fundraiser implies that the police are aware of the need to make amends in healing the broken trust relationship with civilians and are choosing to give back positively.
The fundraising partnership program is merely a suggestion, and no such program currently exists. The police department should collaborate with their human resources department in finding clever ways to show the public that they have shared values. One idea worth considering is giving back to society to make amends for the pain capiophobes are now experiencing due to recent unaccepted behaviors from some of their men.
Report Crimes In Your School, Church, Workplace, Or Neighborhood Anonymously.
You can make a difference by reporting suspicious criminal activity to your local authority. Suppose you are afraid of the police or law enforcement and don’t want to report a crime directly to your local police authority. In that case, you can choose to report suspicious criminal activity safely by using any of our domestic or international privately owned anonymous crime reporting resources below.
Reporting anonymous crimes often leads to a more honest report of the crime from people living with capiophobia because they are not interacting directly with law enforcement, the trigger of the phobia itself.
References:
Susan G Komen Foundation, 2022. https://www.komen.org
Color Psychology, 2022. “The psychology of colors and their meanings.” https://www.colorpsychology.org/
