One of the new designs for vehicles being proposed to Winnipeg Police Service members. (Menno Zacharias)The Winnipeg Police Service is altering the look of its vehicles, dropping the blue-and-white colour scheme for a classic black-and-white design.

Members were recently sent an email with two proposed designs and are being asked to vote for one.

In addition to its colours, the service is also planning to change the motto.

The phrase, Community Commitment, is presently featured on its fleet of vehicles.

The new motto will be: Building Relationships.

According to former deputy police chief Menno Zacharias, who posted the information on his website, the rebranding is intended to enhance safety in terms of greater visibility, improve the image of the service, and increase officer morale.

He does not believe the motto will be removed from the police service badge, however.

"The heraldic design and wording incorporated in the badge was personally approved by the Queen," Zacharias said on his website.

Another design features bold stripes running the length of the vehicle. (Menno Zacharias)"Any change to the badge would require royal approval."

The improved visibility comes from the new decals, which supposedly have better reflective qualities, said Mike Sutherland, president of the Winnipeg Police Association — the union that represents rank-and-file members.

"From a safety point of view and from a visability point of view, so that people know and can see you that you're in the area and can see you from farther off, I think [that] is a good thing," he said.

But he's not sure if a decal alone can improve the force's public image or morale.

It's one thing to have a motto claiming the force is "building relationships" but if officers are racing around to different areas of town, they won't be able to build those relationships.

It would be easier to build relationships if the force wasn't so short-staffed, Sutherland suggested.

"I think there are positive aspects to [the changes]. But is it going to mean an improvement in morale? Is it going to mean an improvement in terms of our ability to build those relationships? I think that may be somewhat of a stretch."

Current colours in place since 1989

The last time the service went through a major change in its appearance was in December 1989, when it switched its vehicles from the traditional black and white to the current colours.

The uniforms of the officers were also changed at that time with new dark blue shirts, pants with wide red stripes and red hatbands.

The motto was adopted a few years later in the early 1990s.

The police service did not say when it hopes to implement the latest changes.