Police uniforms and equipment in the United Kingdom

The trenchcoated British police officers of 1919

The uniforms and equipment of the British police 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.

Equipment that an officer may carry

Usually carried on the Duty belt by uniformed officers, or some have pounches attached to the Stab vest, eliminating the need for a belt. CID detectives may wear a harness which can be worn under clothes.

• Baton Extendable or telescopic/rigid
• Airwave personal radio
• CS/PAVA Incapacitant Spray
• Police notebook
• Personal digital assistants (some forces)
• Torch
• Leg or arm restraints
• Speedcuffs
• First aid kit (Guidelines state that first aid kits should include; Pocket mask, disposable gloves, germicidal wipes, hypoallergenic tape, wound dressings, a triangular bandage and sterile plasters.

Uniform

A Hampshire Constabulary custodian ("bobby") helmet

Police officers in white shirt and helmets

Metropolitan Police officers wearing hi-visibility jackets

For much of the twentieth Century up to the mid 1990s, police uniform looked very different from today. Male police officers wore a formal work jacket with polished silver buttons, black trousers with a sown in truncheon pocket, no stab vest was worn and much less equipment was carried. Following deaths on duty from stabbings and firearm related offences, it was suggested that the uniform should be changed.

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. Meaning that from the early 1990s officers could just patrol in a white shirt. 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, most other forces have styled their uniform on that of the Met's. 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".

Uniform history

The Metropolitan Police officers were unarmed to make them look less like military enforcers, which was the system of policing seen before the 1820s. Along with the uniform being styled in blue, rather than red, the military colour of the time. However, 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 legal to own a pistol for self-defence, at that time. 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 cane-reinforced tophats, with high collars to counter garroting. Worn with white trousers in summer, the headgear was a hardened top hat, allowing it to 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, 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 the 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 had that favoured by the Metropolitan Police, topped with a boss, others had a helmet that incorporated a ridge or crest terminating above the badge, while others had 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.

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. Some forces use combat trousers 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 body armour when on duty.

Types of headgear used by Thames Valley Police. From left, Male PCSO flat cap, male PC custodian helmet, female PC bowler hat, male PC flat cap, cycle helmet.

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.

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.

Firearms and protective equipment

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Firearms officers wearing body armour

Main article: Police use of firearms in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom and some other countries of the British police tradition, the police do not routinely carry firearms, but are issued other weapons (Monadnock Extendable Baton/Rigid PR-24 Baton, CS/PAVA Incapacitant Spray), although some officers may be issued firearms in special situations. 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 force can also call upon Armed Response Vehicles, organised by the Force Firearms Unit in a matter of minutes, and 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 weapons carried routinely by police officers are currently is Monadnock Extendable Baton/Rigid PR-24 Baton and, in all but two county police services, the CS/PAVA Incapacitant Spray. The effects of sprays are designed to be short-lived, subsiding within 30-60 minutes and clearing more quickly in well-ventilated areas. 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. Friction lock batons such as the ASP are popular, although the PR-24 Monadnock (sometimes known as the 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.

Police vehicles

Thames Valley Police policing an animal rights demonstration in Oxford

A Devon and Cornwall Constabulary Ford Focus, Ilfracombe

Ground vehicles

Main article: Police vehicles in the United Kingdom

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. The Metropolitan Police now have over 1500 police bicycles.

Incident Response Vehicles (IRV) are generally used when a '999' call has been received about an ongoing incident or emegerency, usually an IRV would be assigned to the call, due to IRVs continually patrolling an area, reducing 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.

Aircraft

Main article: Police Aviation in United Kingdom

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).

Watercraft

Forces with significant waterways to police maintain police watercraft, ranging from Zodiac dinghies to Arun class former RNLI lifeboats.

Overseas territories

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Bermudian PC Thomas Joseph Powell. ca. 1890.

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.