Police uniforms and equipment in the United Kingdom
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Police uniforms and equipment in the United Kingdom have varied considerably from the inception of what was to become the earliest recognisable mainstream police force in the country with the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829. Allowing the formation of the Metropolitan Police Service, and the various County Police Acts, policing became a more standardised practice in the United Kingdom throughout the late nineteenth century, the uniforms and equipment became equally standardised. From a variety of home grown uniforms, bicycles, swords and pistols the British police force evolved in look and equipment through the long coats and top hat, to the recognisable modern uniform of a white shirt, black tie (or cravat for women in many forces), reflective jackets, body armour, and the panda car.
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[edit] Equipment that an officer may carry
Various items of equipment are usually carried on the duty belt of uniformed officers, although some have pouches attached to their stab vest, eliminating the need for a belt. CID detectives may wear a harness which can be worn under clothes.[citation needed]
- Baton (either extendable, telescopic or rigid)[1][2]
- Airwave personal radio[3]
- CS/PAVA Incapacitant Spray[4]
- Police notebook
- Personal digital assistants (some forces)
- Torch[5]
- Leg or arm restraints[6]
- Speedcuffs[7]
- X26 Taser (for specially trained officers)[8]
Extra equipment, such as a first aid kit (including a pocket mask, disposable gloves, germicidal wipes, hypoallergenic tape, wound dressings, a triangular bandage and sterile plasters),[9] may be stored in a patrol car.
[edit] Uniform
For much of the twentieth century up to the mid 1990s, male police officers wore a formal work jacket with polished silver buttons, and black trousers with a sewn in truncheon pocket. No stab vest was worn and much less equipment was carried than is today. Following concerns about the police uniforms safety it was suggested that the uniform should be changed.[10]
From the 1990s it was generally accepted that the police could patrol in "shirt-sleeve order" which meant that they need not wear the jacket, as its widespread use was hampering in some situations. In 1994 the Home Office, in agreement with the government and on the cooperation of many Chief Constables, changed the uniform from the business attire with no protection of the torso, to a uniform with black trousers, stab vest, duty belt and reflective jacket.
Although there are minor variations in the styling, pattern and insignia, the police forces of Great Britain, Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar all wear very similar uniforms. In general, these have taken their lead from the Metropolitan Police Service, due to it being recognised as the first police service in England. The base colour is a very dark blue, almost indistinguishable from black (and recently often is black), which earned the police the nickname of the "boys in blue".
[edit] Uniform history
The Metropolitan Police officers were unarmed to clearly distinguish them from military enforcers, which had been the system of policing seen before the 1820s. Their uniform was also styled in blue, rather than the military red. Despite the service being unarmed, the then Home Secretary Robert Peel gave authorisation to the Commissioner to purchase fifty flintlock pistols, for exceptional incidents that required the use of firearms. As time progressed, the obsolete flintlocks were decommissioned from service, being superseded by early revolvers. At the time, burglary (or "house breaking" as it was then called) was a common problem for police, and house breakers were usually armed, as it was then legal to own a pistol for self-defence. Because of many deaths of officers in the hands of firearms in the outer districts of the Metropolis, and after much press coverage debating whether Peel's service should be fully armed, the Commissioner applied to the Home Secretary to supply all officers on the outer districts with revolvers. These could only be issued if, in the opinion of the senior officer, the officer could be trusted to use it safely, and with discretion. From that point, officers who felt the need to be armed, could be so. The practice lasted until 1936, although the vast majority of the system was phased out by the end of the 19th century.
From 1829, to 1839, Metropolitan Police officers wore blue swallow tail coats with high collars to counter garroting. This was worn with white trousers in summer, and a cane-reinforced top hat, which could be used as a step to climb or see over walls. The sleeves of the dark blue coats originally had a pattern of white bars, roughly 6 mm wide by 50 mm high, set roughly 6 mm apart. This immediately distinguished them from naval or maritime personnel. In the early years of the Metropolitan Police, equipment was little more than a rattle to call for assistance,[11] and a wooden truncheon. As the years progressed, the rattle was replaced with the whistle, swords were removed from service, and flintlock pistols were removed in favour of revolvers.
In 1863, the Metropolitan Police replaced the tailcoat with a tunic, still high-collared, and the top hat with the custodian helmet. With a few exceptions (including the City of London Police and the Hampshire Constabulary), the helmet plate was (and still is) based on the Brunswick star. The helmet itself was of cork faced with fabric. The design varied slightly between forces. Some used the style favoured by the Metropolitan Police, topped with a boss, while others had a helmet that incorporated a ridge or crest terminating above the badge, or a short spike, sometimes topped with a ball.
The tunic went through many lengths and styles, with the Metropolitan Police adopting the open-neck style in 1948 (although senior and female officers adopted it before that time). Senior officers used to wear peaked pillbox-style caps until the adoption of the wider peaked cap worn today.
Female officers' uniforms have gone through a great variety of styles, as they have tended to reflect the women's fashions of the time. Tunic style, skirt length and headgear have varied by period and force. By the late 1980s, the female working uniform was virtually identical to male, except for headgear and sometimes neckwear.
[edit] Current uniform
Formal uniform comprises an open-necked tunic (with or without an attached belt, depending on the force) and trousers or skirt, worn with a white or light blue shirt and black tie (usually clip-on, so it cannot be used to strangle the wearer). Although most forces once wore blue shirts, these have been less used since the 1980s (when the Metropolitan Police changed to white) and most now wear white. Officers of the rank of Inspector and above have always worn white shirts, and in many forces so have female officers. In some forces, female officers wear a black and white checked cravat instead of a tie. Officers of the rank of Sergeant and above wear rank badges on their epaulettes, while Constables and Sergeants also wear "collar numbers" on them.
Until 1994 this was also the everyday working uniform, but today it is rarely seen except on formal occasions. The normal working dress retains the shirt (open-necked or with a tie or cravat) and trousers, worn with or without a jersey or fleece. In 2002, Strathclyde Police replaced the white shirts with black T-shirts with stab vest on top, for the majority of officers on duty. Some forces use combat trousers (trousers are of a cargo pocket style i.e. two thigh pockets and two conventional side and rear pockets) and boots. Today, female officers almost never wear a skirt in working dress, and frequently wear trousers in formal dress as well. Officers also frequently wear reflective waterproof jackets, which have replaced the old greatcoats and cloaks traditionally worn in inclement weather. Most officers now wear stab vests, a type of body armour, when on duty.
Basic headgear is a peaked cap for men, and a round bowler style hat for women. All officers wear a black and white (red and white for the City of London Police) diced band (called Sillitoe Tartan) around the hat, a distinction first used in Scotland and later adopted by all forces in Great Britain. Traffic officers wear white cap covers. On foot duty, male constables and sergeants outside Scotland wear the familiar conical custodian helmet. There are several patterns, with different forces wearing different types. Although some Scottish forces have used helmets in the past, they are no longer worn in Scotland.
Officers of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) wear a uniform which is somewhat different, due to the political situation. The main colour to be found is a dark and light green with the uniform looking very unlike mainland police uniforms. The RUC officially described this as 'rifle green'. When the six new versions of the PSNI uniform were introduced, in March 2002, the term 'bottle green' was used for basically the same colour. This was perhaps seen as being a less confrontational description, in keeping with the spirit of the time. RIC uniforms were originally a very dark green almost black color.
[edit] Personal radios
In 2004, British police forces began change radios from analog, to digital TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio) system for communications, called Airwave. The Airwave system replaced the previous radio handsets and two-way radios with a mobile phone-like device, which is supposed to improve radio coverage, is encrypted to prevent interception, and allows data as well as voice transmission.
This was a direct response by the Government to the incidents of 9/11, after American emergency services had severe difficulties with communicating. TETRA has been designed for both everyday use and national emergencies, where officers can communicate one-to-one or with separate emergency services efficiently. The radios proved exceptional during the London Underground bombings, of July 2005.
Personal radio systems were first issued to police officers and installed in police cars in the 1960s (resulting in the demise of the "police box" telephones made famous by Doctor Who). From the 1990s, officers frequently carried mobile phones in addition to their personal radio units.
[edit] Protective equipment
[edit] Firearms
In the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries , the majority of police officers do not routinely carry firearms. This originates from the formation of the Metropolitan Police in the nineteenth century, when police were not armed, partly to counter public fears and objections concerning armed enforcers. However, the Ministry of Defence Police, Civil Nuclear Constabulary and Police Service of Northern Ireland (formerly the Royal Ulster Constabulary) are issued firearms as a matter of routine. Every territorial police force has a number of officers who are routinely armed in units generally called Armed Response Vehicles. Certain specialist squads, such as the Flying Squad, Special Branch, Diplomatic Protection Group, Royalty Protection Branch, and officers protecting airports along with government buildings, are routinely armed. The British Transport Police does not have any armed officers of its own, relying on the assistance of the local territorial police force should an armed incident occur on the railways.
[edit] Tasers
Until recently, Tasers were only issued to Authorised Firearms Officers and their use of them was governed by the same rules of engagement as regular firearms. On 23 November, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced that 30,000 non-firearms officers will be allowed to carry them.[12] The Government will give the police forces in England & Wales £8 million with which to buy 10,000 Tasers.[12]
The use of Tasers is now governed by the Association of Chief Police Officers policy which states:
Tasers are to be deployed with Specially Trained Officers, where the authorising officer has reason to suppose that they, in the course of their duty, may have to protect the public, themselves and /or the subject(s) at incidents of violence or threats of violence of such severity that they will need to use force.
ACPO has prohbited the use of a Taser on a volunteer.[13] Tasers are regarded as prohibited weapons under the Firearms Act 1968, and their possession is an offence.[14] Police constables are exempt as crown servants.[14][15]
[edit] Incapacitant spray
All officers carry CS/PAVA incapacitant sprays. Their effects are designed to be short-lived, subsiding within 30-60 minutes and clearing more quickly in well-ventilated areas. Section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968 includes "any weapon of whatever description designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas or other thing" it the description of a prohibited weapon, and possession of CS gas is therefore illegal without the authority of the Defence Council or the Scottish Ministers.[16] Police constables are exempt as crown servants.[17]
[edit] Batons
Until the mid-1990s most police forces utilised a 14 inch long traditional wooden truncheon. It was replaced by long American-style batons but in many places these were short lived, mainly due to their being unwieldy in during most operational circumstances.
The use of batons varies across the country and each force selects which baton is best able to fulfill its needs and provide the best protection to officers. Expandable batons, such as the friction lock ASP are popular, although the PR-24 Monadnock (a side-handled baton) or the Monadnock Straight Lock baton is used in some forces. Some forces in the North of England use a one-piece "Arnold" baton.
Batons are offensive weapons; the following are offences under the Criminal Justice Act 1988:
- manufacturing,
- selling or hiring ,
- offering for sale or hire,
- exposing having in your possession for the purpose of sale or hire,
- lending,
- giving to any other person, or
- importing
an offensive weapon.[18] The list of weapons regarded as offensive for the purposes of the act includes "straight, side-handled or friction-lock truncheons (sometimes known as a batons)" in the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) (Amendment) Order 2004 and "telescopic truncheons" in the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) Order 1988. Police constables are exempt, as they have lawful authority to carry them.[15]
[edit] Police vehicles
[edit] Ground vehicles
The archetypal British "bobby" walked his beat alone. Apart from rapid response units, motor vehicles were rarely used except in rural districts (and even there, bicycles were more common). However, following the 1964 Police Act, the police became increasingly motorised and it is now rare to see an officer on foot patrol except in city or town centres, and then rarely alone. More recently, police forces have begun to put officers back on the beat as 'community' or 'neighbourhood' patrols. In an increasing number of urban centres police bicycle units are used to provide a quick response in congested areas, pedestrianised areas and parkland, as well as carrying out patrols. A bicycle patrol provides a happy balance between the distance covered by a motorised patrol and the approachability of the foot patrol.[19] The Metropolitan Police now have over 1500 police bicycles.[20]
Incident Response Vehicles (IRV) are generally used when a '999' call has been received regarding an ongoing incident or emergency. Usually an IRV would be assigned to the call, as their continual patrol of an area reduces their deployment time. Response vehicles tend to be capable of the safe use of speed, common types include, Ford Focus or Vauxhall Astra. These are usually fitted with engines with a size of around 1.6 to 1.8 litres. Although petrol-powered engines once dominated, diesel engines are now becoming more common due to their superior fuel economy and therefore lower operating costs.
However, as well as response cars, Panda cars are also used within the British Police. These are used to aid in community policing, due to these vehicles being employed only for patrol. The vehicles commonly used are typically low budget cars, and are not capable of speeding safely to get to an incident.
Larger, more powerful vehicles are used by Road Policing Units, Armed Response Vehicles due to the fact that they carry out tasks such as pursuing stolen cars, responding to emergencies in a larger area, or carrying a larger amount equipment than an IRV. It is for that reason that many of the vehicles are in "estate car" form. These vehicles tend to be Volvo V70 T5's with a 2.4 litre turbocharged petrol engine or Vauxhall Vectras with 3.2 litre V6. As with IRVs, diesel engines are becoming more common such as the BMW 5 Series 3.0 litre diesel which are heavily used by the Metropolitan Police Service. As well as estate cars, 4x4 (SUVs) such as Range Rover, Land Rover Discovery (LR3), BMW X5 or Mercedes M class vehicles are used especially for Motorway patrols. Police Officers are required to undergo specialised training before being authorised to drive them.
Most UK police vehicles are white or silver, although more recently silver becoming more common due to higher resale values after police use is finished, with retroreflective livery markings on the side. These markings usually take the form of a blue, yellow or red strip down the side of the vehicle, or use high visibility battenburg markings (with blue and yellow the accepted Home Office colours for police use). Some carry adverts for police initiatives or slogans such as the Metropolitan Police "Working for a safer London", also some vehicles show the force crest.
Unmarked police vehicles are used on road policing duties. One popular vehicle for this use is the Skoda Octavia VRS which is chosen due to its high performance but conservative styling. Some police forces have begun using Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions for the most dangerous or challenging car chases. The TVCU (Tactical Vehicle Crime Unit) within the Greater Manchester Police uses cars such as the Audi A3 3.2L Quattro, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, and Subaru Impreza WRX. All the TVCU's vehicles are unmarked and have very high performance.
Police vans such as Ford's Transit or Mercedes Sprinter are also used and have a cage for accommodation of a prisoner in the back. Although in the United States it is possible to carry a prisoner or suspect in an ordinary police car, this is not possible in the United Kingdom, as police cars have no a barrier between the front and back seats to protect the officers. Each police force will have different policies in relation to prisoner transportation, some will allow compliant prisoners to be transported in response cars (ensuring that one officer sits in the rear with the prisoner, and the prisoner sits behind the passenger seat). Non-compliant prisoners should always be transported in police vehicles fitted with a cage, some forces mandate all prisoners to be transported in caged vehicles.
[edit] Aircraft
All Home Office police forces have access to air support, often in the form of helicopters. Some forces, such as Hampshire, also have small fixed wing aircraft. Police Helicopters are required by the CAA to be marked in a standard 'high conspicuosity' paint scheme, to make them more visible and avoid the possibility of air proximity hazards with other low flying aircraft. This paint scheme, also used by UK military training helicopters, requires them to be black on the sides and underneath, and yellow on top. When seen from the ground, these helicopters are black but this is to make them more visible against the sky as a safety feature (and yellow against the ground when seen from above).
[edit] Watercraft
Forces with significant waterways to police maintain police watercraft, ranging from Zodiac dinghies to Arun class former RNLI lifeboats.[21][22]
[edit] Overseas territories
Police organisation and uniform history has varied throughout the British Overseas Territories. Uniforms have often had to be adapted to local climates. The Bermuda Police Service has followed the trends of UK police forces in its dress, having adopted dark blue tunics, trousers, and helmets at its inception. After the appointment of Police Commissioner Colin Coxall, in 1995 (formerly of the Metropolitan Police), the four-pocket jackets and helmets were reserved for ceremonial or public relations occasions, with more comfortable bomber jackets and woollen pullovers adopted. In the Bermuda Police, only officers wear white shirts, with sergeants and constables wearing light blue ones. During the summer months, the long trousers are replaced with Bermuda shorts. The traditional image of a Bermuda policeman in the minds of summer visitors is helmeted, with knee socks and shorts. During, and for a short time after, the Second World War, influenced by the large numbers of military personnel on the island, the Bermuda Police took to wearing military-style khaki shorts and shirts during the summer months, but this fad quickly passed.
[edit] References
- ^ "Our Equipment". Limacharlie. http://www.limacharlie.org/index.php?id=1209&lc_image=2&cHash=1a2db769f5. Retrieved on 2009-05-08.
- ^ "UK | Police get stick over new batons". BBC News. 1998-12-30. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/244530.stm. Retrieved on 2009-05-08.
- ^ "Our Equipment". Limacharlie. http://www.limacharlie.org/index.php?id=1209&lc_image=3&cHash=63d406649f. Retrieved on 2009-05-08.
- ^ "Our Equipment". Limacharlie. http://www.limacharlie.org/index.php?id=1209&lc_image=1&cHash=6be621d751. Retrieved on 2009-05-08.
- ^ "Police Torches from leading manufactures Peli, Led Lenser and Protec - Protec UK". Police-supplies.co.uk. http://www.police-supplies.co.uk/torches/cat_62.html. Retrieved on 2009-05-08.
- ^ "Policies". Acpo.police.uk. http://www.acpo.police.uk/policies.asp. Retrieved on 2009-05-08.
- ^ "Our Equipment". Limacharlie. http://www.limacharlie.org/index.php?id=1209. Retrieved on 2009-05-08.
- ^ Ford, Richard. "Jacqui Smith's Taser plan suffers blow after Met Police Authority's rejection". Times Online. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article5224058.ece. Retrieved on 2008-11-25.
- ^ "England | West Yorkshire | 'Poor first aid' in shot Pc's car". BBC News. 2005-05-29. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/4590971.stm. Retrieved on 2009-05-08.
- ^ "UK | The police uniform blues?". BBC News. 2000-09-05. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/910968.stm. Retrieved on 2009-05-08.
- ^ Taylor, J. "The Victorian Police Rattle Mystery" The Constabulary (2003)
- ^ a b "Police to get 10,000 Taser guns". Times Online. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5204516.ece. Retrieved on 2009-05-08.
- ^ Extended operational deployment of Taser for Specially Trained Units, Policy, section 4.5
- ^ a b Extended operational deployment of Taser for Specially Trained Units, Operational Guidance, section 5.2
- ^ a b English, Jack; Card, Richard (2005), Police Law, Blackstone's Police Books, ISBN 0-19-928405-9
- ^ "Firearms Act 1968 (c. 27)". Statutelaw.gov.uk. http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegType=All+Legislation&title=firearms+act&searchEnacted=0&extentMatchOnly=0&confersPower=0&blanketAmendment=0&sortAlpha=0&TYPE=QS&PageNumber=1&NavFrom=0&parentActiveTextDocId=1628564&ActiveTextDocId=1628590&filesize=32116. Retrieved on 2009-05-08.
- ^ English, Jack; Card, Richard (2005), Police Law, Blackstone's Police Books, ISBN 0-19-928405-9
- ^ "Criminal Justice Act 1988 (c. 33) - Statute Law Database". Statutelaw.gov.uk. http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegType=All+Legislation&title=Criminal+Justice+Act+1988&searchEnacted=0&extentMatchOnly=0&confersPower=0&blanketAmendment=0&sortAlpha=0&TYPE=QS&PageNumber=1&NavFrom=0&parentActiveTextDocId=2116646&ActiveTextDocId=2116824&filesize=11842. Retrieved on 2009-05-08.
- ^ TFL 999 London Cycling Award press release[dead link]
- ^ "Police on bikes, from LS8". Daveches.co.uk. http://www.daveches.co.uk/analysis/bikes. Retrieved on 2009-05-08.
- ^ Metropolitan Police Marine Unit[dead link]
- ^ "Strathclyde Police Marine Policing Unit". Strathclyde.police.uk. http://www.strathclyde.police.uk/index.asp?locID=927&docID=-1. Retrieved on 2009-05-08.
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