History

South Gate Hall of Justice

The uniform for the South Gate Police Officer is a symbol of tradition and professionalism that defines the department. The specifications for the uniform are the same as the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. A long standing question has been why we copied the Sheriff's?

The South Gate Police Department has utilized a combination of all tan uniforms, green uniforms, blue uniform, and the current tan shirt and green pants uniform since its inception. The current specifications for the South Gate uniform were established in 1952 by Chief John Gutting. Only a handful of departments in Los Angeles County area utilized a blue uniform for their police officers. The majority wore all tan uniforms. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department required it's deputies to wear all green.

In 1953, during a training class that was held at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Academy, Sheriff Gene Biscaluz approached one of the employees and commented on how sharp his uniform looked. The employee was South

So why does the South Gate Police Department wear a tan and green uniform? The reason is tradition. It links the current officers to those who established this department. Additionally, whenever anyone questions why we wear the same uniform as the Los Angeles County Sheriff's, the response is simple.... They copied us.