Changes come to Boyd Sheriff's

Mar. 28—CATLETTSBURG — Deputy Tim Duvall of the Boyd County Sheriff's Office went into the police academy in October 1992.

Nearly 30 years to the day, his boy Landen did the same thing. Starting next wee, the younger Duvall will begin field training with the department.

Over the years, Tim Duvall saw a lot of changes — among them, the shifts in uniforms. But the latest set of threads are a bit of a mold breaker for the department, he said.

"I wore my uniform down to the academy for Landen's graduation and on the way back we stopped at the Winchester McDonald's," he said. "Somebody walked up to me and said, 'you're either with the forest service or you're with Fish and Wildlife.'"

Taking inspiration from West Virginia State Police's olive green, the Boyd County Sheriff's Office is also shifting toward a green look. The new uniforms, according to Sheriff Jamie Reihs, are much more breathable and tear resistant.

Reihs said the olive green design was chosen by the majority of his deputies when he took office.

"Comfort is a huge thing for my guys," he said. "We want them to look good, but also be comfortable when they're out there."

Tim Duvall said the old uniforms were hot and a rip would turn into a run because they were polyester.

"These are much more tactical and practical," he said. "I love it."

Along with the change in threads, Reihs said he's looking to change over the design of the fleet as well. A 2021 cruiser that hit a deer is the first to don the new paint job, which also showcases an olive green stripping.

"We could go hunting with it, it looks like camo," Reihs joked. "The main thing we wanted was to set our cruiser apart from others. The design we had looked very similar to Ashland's."

Four more new cruisers, which are currently awaiting to be outfitted, will also don the new paint job. Over time, Reihs said he intends to replace the fleet with the new look as cars are phased out and new cars are phased in.

(606) 326-2653 — henry@dailyindependent.com