Council questions procurement for police uniforms; city says new vendor selected after 2025 solicitation

Council members on Tuesday questioned the Department of Safety and procurement staff about a proposed master purchase order for police uniforms (Resolution 25-21-30) that would cover class A and class B uniforms citywide.

Emily Lack, Department of Safety legislation and policy, said the last competitive process for police uniforms ran in 2020 and that the general services team ran a new solicitation in 2025. Lack said the city selected a new vendor for class A and class B uniforms and that the proposed master purchase order reflects forecasts for incoming recruits, current staffing, and replacement cycles governed by the collective bargaining agreement.

Elizabeth Hughes, senior procurement analyst for General Services, said three vendors responded to the 2025 solicitation. Hughes told council there are additional vendors in the Denver area that could provide uniforms but not at the level of specification or quantity the city needs: “When I did the solicitation, I had 3 responding vendors,” she said.

A departmental uniform commander (identified in the record as Michelle) described the chosen uniforms as more durable and functional, noting features that reduce wear, wick fluids and improve risk management: “These are less likely to fade and they're just more durable overall, more functionality for the police department,” the commander said.

Councilmember Paradis asked whether the procurement produced a healthy competitive field; staff said multiple vendors exist but only three responded to the solicitation. No vote was recorded on the floor for this item during the exchange; staff offered to follow up with additional line-item cost history and related procurement documents.

Next steps: staff said they will follow up with council on clothing line-item history and clarify bidder details if requested.