Covington County Jail Correctional Officers are sporting a new look.

Instead of wearing uniforms that look very similar to Covington County deputies, Jail Administrator Alan Syler said they changed their uniforms to a navy blue polo and khaki pants.

“The reason for this is that the officers that work at the jail are not certified law enforcement officers,” he said. “They are certified corrections officers.”

Syler said he thought it was a good move for their safety since they aren’t armed going to and from the jail and that people often approach them with law enforcement questions if they stop at a store going to or coming from work.

“Sometimes people want to know about a burglary,” he said. “The CO looks at them like, ‘I don’t know.’ They aren’t trained to answer and the public does not see that.”

Syler said there are 24 corrections officers plus himself who work at the jail.