A women officer in red.

Chongqing municipality hopes to recolor the stern image of its police force with new uniforms that will make the public see red - that is, by issuing crimson-colored raincoats for women officers.

The uniforms, designed by Chongqing's police chief for a special task squad under the local traffic and patrol division, are accessorized with black boots paired with white gloves, and topped off with black helmets.

But rather than debuting on the catwalks, these stylish new outfits first appeared during patrols of the Renmin Square in the city's central district on Sunday.

"I heard about the new uniforms two days ago and checked them out on the Internet," a patrol officer, who declined to be named, told China Daily on Tuesday in his station near Beichengtianjie shopping mall in Jiangbei district.

His female colleague, who also would not be named, said she believed the new attire "looks great".

"I wish I could try it on," she said.

The new outfits are only for the special task squad, which has about 90 women officers, she explained.

An official with the publicity department of the municipal police bureau told China Daily the getups are not actually uniforms but "just raincoats that keep out wind and rain, because these officers mostly work outside".

The squad's deputy head Li Jiajie told local media the raincoat "not only looks good but also is convenient".

"It rains a lot during winters in Chongqing, and the sky is gray," a taxi driver surnamed Li told local media.

"It makes me feel light-hearted to see policewomen wearing bright red to direct the traffic."

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