A new police uniform proposed for the North will make officers look more like paramilitaries than the upholders of law and order, according to the Police Federation.
In a radical overhaul of the RUC uniform, the old-style forage caps and frock coats have been abandoned in favour of baseball caps, open-neck white shirts over T-shirts, and a short blouson jacket.
The bottle green of the old RUC uniform will be retained.
The new design is in line with the Patten review's recommendation of a modern, more practical uniform. It has been shown to the federation and the Police Authority and will be formally presented to the RUC Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, next week.
If approved, it will be adopted from September 2001.
An RUC spokesman said: "The RUC has been looking at the uniform issue for the last eight years." The working party had narrowed down "the many choices" and was now presenting a series of options with a unanimous recommendation, but no final decision had been made.
The vice-chairman of the Police Federation, Mr Jimmy Spratt, said the new uniform was "insulting" to the vast majority of officers. Police wearing baseball caps would look more like paramilitaries than upholders of law and order, he said.
Leading dissident republicans and loyalists have been photographed in baseball caps. "All the rioters at Drumcree were wearing them. We would be a laughing stock. Some of the younger officers might not mind baseball caps but they wouldn't work for the older ones. William Hague became a standing joke when he wore one . . .
"I think it will make us look foolish and will downgrade the force. The casual look might be OK for America but Northern Ireland is not America."
Mr Spratt also criticised the introduction of open-neck shirts. "They might be preferable in hot weather but at times police officers need ties, such as when they are breaking news of a death." He also opposed wearing T-shirts under shirts.
"This is a human rights issue. It is inappropriate in this day and age for management to dictate what underclothes officers wear. It will also increase the washing load carried out by long-suffering spouses unless management plans to provide a laundry service."
Mr Spratt said he would be raising strong objections at a meeting with senior officers next week.
The Police Authority chairman, Mr Pat Armstrong, took a more positive view. He said that on first sight members' impressions of the new uniform had been favourable, but his organisation wanted to discuss the proposals further.