Posted: 7/31/2005 8:52:46 PM EDT
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I see the bobbies with the tall hats and the cops with the checkering on the hats. What the difference? I know in the past the bobbies where un-armed but has the recent situation changed all that because I see the checkered hat guys with weapons all the time. many thanks from your brothers in the states 
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Clayo's right on this. If you're out on foot then you wear the tall hat (it's tradition and the tourists love it), but if you're in a vehicle or likely to be, then you wear the flat hats (caps). Daft really, as cops take their caps off when sitting in the car anyway, but it takes up less room on the parcel shelf, I suppose. All the English, and I believe the Welsh, forces wear the tall hats and have checkering in the caps. It's dark blue and white checks, unless they are City of London Police (the City Police) who wear a red and white band, not to be confused with the London Metropolitan Police (the Met). As the firearms units arrive in ARVs (armed response vehicles) they wear the caps. In Scotland and Ulster they don't have the tall hats, just the caps, unless they're trying to be hard, then like England and Wales they wear baseball caps, usually with the checks or POLICE written on so they're not confused with the bad guys with guns. |
The bell shaped helmet was adopted back around 1860ish when the Police were put on a more 'professional' footing. Up till then local militias had been widely used to 'keep the peace' and they wore standard army uniform and the helmet of the day… see Zulu. However, the local 'constabularies' wore top hats and tail coats and often carried a sabre! When the Police became the de facto 'forces of law and order' they adopted the same standard army uniform but in dark blue and the helmet to go with it…  Andy |
