By Jim Cavan

In New Hampshire, the frigid winter temperatures can always take a toll, even on the Seacoast’s finest.

But when Portsmouth Police officers Bob Lukacz and Sean Evans came into work in late fall sporting new, black soft-shell jackets that were both super-cozy and made of 100 percent recycled plastic, Portsmouth’s finest finally had a new – and decidedly green – guard against the cold.

“The uniforms we had were starting to become pretty outdated,” says Evans, who had been an occasional customer of the Warehouse Clothing Outlet, where the jackets were purchased. “I started snooping around the Warehouse, and found the earth-tec jacket. It fit all of the criteria – it was light, it was warm, and it had a lot nicer, friendlier look than our regular jackets. And the fact that it was made from recycled plastic was really appealing too.”

Word quickly spread about the jackets. Sure it was warm, fit well and looked nice, but at less than $50, it was a serious bargain too. Made from a special yarn spun from recycled plastic bottles, the “earth-tec” line has been one of the Warehouse Clothing Outlet’s biggest sellers, and the pride of owner Dennis Randall.

“Right off the bat it was a situation where we wanted to support them, and they were very interested in supporting local businesses,” says Randall. “That really made it the great partnership it’s become.”

So far some 25 officers in the department have been outfitted with the shells, which looks, feels, and performs just like a high-end North Face or Patagonia, and at a fraction of the cost.

The jacket fervor didn’t stop there. After outfitting the Portsmouth PD, Randall has since supplied both the Newington PD and the Rockingham County Sherriff’s office with their own custom-made digs. Randall and his team even took the time to custom embroider the jackets with their respective department badges and names.

An officer at the Rockingham’s Sherriff’s office came to find out about the Warehouse Clothing Outlet when he googled the company and came on the website for the Green Alliance, a Seacoast-based “green business union” which represents Randall and the Warehouse Clothing Outlet, along with 80-plus other businesses from across industries.

The winter of 2010 – expected by many to be one of the worst on record – might very well succeed in bringing the mercury down. But with a new stock of warm, light (and green!) jackets on the beat, it’s going to have a much harder time bringing down the Seacoast’s top brass.