New Suriname police uniform: this is why it was needed 

Police officers in Suriname have received a new uniform. It is the first time in thirty years that they have been given new equipment. And it was badly needed. In this article, I’ll explain why the old uniform needed to be replaced, show you the new equipment and explain why it has caused so much discussion.

Want to see Suriname’s new police uniform up close? Watch my video below, where I take a closer look at the different uniform elements and explain the design choices behind them.

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Why it was time for a new police uniform in Suriname

In December 2025, I already published an article about the plans of the Suriname Police Force to introduce a new uniform. That has now happened. On 26 August, the new clothing package was presented and immediately put into use.

This marked the end of the grey suits that had dominated the streets for thirty years. And people were definitely ready for a change. The dark grey trousers tore easily during pursuits and the overall appearance was considered somewhat outdated. Combined with the light grey shirt, the uniform created a neat first impression, but it was not very practical. The cost and the fact that the materials were not particularly comfortable to wear in the hot climate were also reasons to introduce a new uniform.

Development of a new clothing package therefore started in 2020. Initially, an internal team designed the clothing, after which the designs were discussed with various parties and police officers. During this process, the team looked at international developments and guidelines regarding police uniforms, among other things.

 

New Suriname police uniform launched

The new uniform looks completely different from its predecessor. Officers will now wear dark blue cargo trousers combined with matching polo shirts featuring horizontal stripes across the chest and sleeves. The formal grey hat has been replaced by a blue cap with a logo.

One striking detail is the fluorescent green stripes, which the police themselves call ‘Velvet Green’. This colour also appears on the pockets of the trousers, tying the entire look together.

But the colours are only part of the story. The biggest changes for officers are the fit and the material. For the new clothing package, the police opted for plenty of functional details. The polo shirt, for example, has a chest pocket with a concealed zip. The trousers also have several pockets. For the material, they chose a polyester dry fit fabric designed to be comfortable during hot days.

Safety and visibility

The Velvet Green colour already caused a lot of discussion on social media in December. People thought the horizontal stripes combined with the dark blue base looked very similar to the uniform of the Dutch police.

And that is no coincidence. The designers took inspiration from several police forces abroad. Police officers in the Netherlands and countries such as Sint Maarten wear similar uniforms. This makes sense. Combining fluorescent colours with a dark background helps police officers stand out on the street. Because the colour is green rather than yellow, however, the uniform does not meet the requirements for certification as high visibility clothing under EN ISO 20471. But that does not change the fact that the contrast still makes the officers more noticeable.

The uniforms are not the only thing intended to improve safety in Suriname. The new badges should help as well. The country has been dealing with people impersonating police officers, and the police have come up with a solution. Every officer carries a holder containing their identification card. From now on, officers will also carry a badge in this holder. The Chief of Police will receive a separate badge and wear it on the chest.

This should make it easier for citizens to distinguish fake police officers from real ones. The police also hope this will strengthen their professional appearance.

Costs and legal protection

During the presentation of the new uniforms, the Suriname Police Force (KPS) emphasised that the new equipment is considerably cheaper than the grey suits. KPS has not disclosed an exact price per clothing set, but the total value of the tender is US$349,000. This includes 800 shirts, 450 shorts, 2,000 pairs of long trousers, 3,000 rank insignia and 2,000 caps.

But the project is not finished yet. For a long time, KPS has faced another problem: the law did not protect the old uniforms. This meant that basically anyone could wear them because the law did not prohibit it.

Operational services, patrol officers and basic police services will wear the new uniforms. Office staff will continue to wear the grey suits. For this reason, the police decided to arrange legal protection for all uniforms at once. This also includes the separate uniforms worn by specialist teams, intervention teams, riot police and other special units.

Why Suriname badly needed a new police uniform

I understand why people compare the new uniform with that of the Dutch police. They do look similar. Still, I don’t think that is a major problem. When you have to dress a public service such as the police, there are various rules and requirements that a uniform has to meet. It needs to support the officer and, above all, be functional. So why not look at what neighbouring countries are doing? Better well copied than badly invented, as the saying goes.

Still, I can see several areas that may not have received enough attention. To reduce costs, they opted for a gender neutral clothing package. Whether this was a good choice remains to be seen in practice, but I expect that women in particular may experience problems. A gender neutral fit is often based on the male body, which means women are more likely to end up with excess fabric in some areas while the clothing feels too tight in others. This is a well known problem that often occurs when organisations try to reduce costs by choosing a unisex fit. And in the worst case, everyone suffers, as happened with police officers in England and Wales in 2024.

Looking at the smaller details, I also think the stripes could have been finished more neatly. On some of the polo shirts, the stripes do not always line up properly from the chest to the sleeves. This happens more often with garments made from several separate pieces, but it does not look particularly neat.

For everything else, only time will tell whether this clothing package was the right choice. Ultimately, only the police officers themselves can determine that.

Also interesting:

• Why the Belgian police are once again debating a new uniform
• Why China is deploying police robots in uniform

Best,

Aileen