Anyone miss the traditional helmet?
Discussion
carinaman said:
Do any current or former BiB have any experience of where a helmet has helped ward off a potential head injury?
Besides making officers more visible how much use are they if they're worn without the chin strap being used? They're quite easy to dislodge when the strap isn't used?
MeBesides making officers more visible how much use are they if they're worn without the chin strap being used? They're quite easy to dislodge when the strap isn't used?
I work a lot of football and public order duties and the custodian is a must, the only other hat that offers protection above is a nato and they scare the public so we have our big hats to stop pints and coins etc hitting our heads.
If I'm in the middle of a disorder involving 40 people I look for the big hats so I know where my mates are. Walk into a pub full of angry away fans and everyone knows where you are and who you are.
If we get rid of them it'll be a sad day. We have baseball caps for when we are doing searches etc and they're crap, don't look professional and don't offer any protection.
Keep them I say.
Thank you Greendubber.
I think I've seen a big turn out for a football match and there's not been a custodian in sight. I think it was all baseball caps.
When was the soccer disorder? Late 2013? Was it Tyneside, where a bloke punched a police horse and Millwall? I think the criticism at Millwall was how long the police took to deal with it, but it showed the police coming into the crowd from the LHS as you looked at it and they had caps on.
The footage of the G20 protests showed an officer running from left to right past a van getting toppled, or tripping over and his cap coming off.
Could a custodian, soften the Storm Trooper look of the modern uniforms? A reassuring, less threatening link to the past?
I read Elroy Blue's piece about them being more suited to ceremonial use.
I think I've seen a big turn out for a football match and there's not been a custodian in sight. I think it was all baseball caps.
When was the soccer disorder? Late 2013? Was it Tyneside, where a bloke punched a police horse and Millwall? I think the criticism at Millwall was how long the police took to deal with it, but it showed the police coming into the crowd from the LHS as you looked at it and they had caps on.
The footage of the G20 protests showed an officer running from left to right past a van getting toppled, or tripping over and his cap coming off.
Could a custodian, soften the Storm Trooper look of the modern uniforms? A reassuring, less threatening link to the past?
I read Elroy Blue's piece about them being more suited to ceremonial use.
There is disorder at the games I deal with most weekends during the season, we wear our big hats as caps aren't up to the job of getting us seen or protecting our heads.
If we're the ground stood between the home and away there will be coins going over our heads, we should really be wearing Nato helmets but those in charge don't want us in them. The folk throwing stuff might see it as oppressive.
Even when I used to be out and about in a car I always had my big hat in my bag. Always worn when going into a pub and always worn when stood on a scene etc.
They're just smarter than a 99p baseball cap.
If we're the ground stood between the home and away there will be coins going over our heads, we should really be wearing Nato helmets but those in charge don't want us in them. The folk throwing stuff might see it as oppressive.
Even when I used to be out and about in a car I always had my big hat in my bag. Always worn when going into a pub and always worn when stood on a scene etc.
They're just smarter than a 99p baseball cap.
On public order duties hats will go flying whether helmets or caps are worn. I policed league footy matches all over the UK for over 25yrs -never needed any more than the trusty custodian to deflect the odd coin -so perfectly ok in sporting situations. Fortunately never had to wear those awful cheap baseball caps officers wear now. Other than cost savings no real need to get rid - still a perfectly serviceable piece of kit though not to everybodys taste now
Edited by Bigends on Friday 23 January 17:38
I wore a helmet for the best part of 20 years on the streets and at footy and other confrontational situations. Never had a problem with doing so. Used to carry my fags and car opening tape inside mine.
Little kids used to like the hold nose/puff cheeks out/raise front of helmet routine.
Little kids used to like the hold nose/puff cheeks out/raise front of helmet routine.
GoneAnon said:
Only time I ever saw those up here was during the G8 at Gleneagles when cops and vehicles were brought in from all over.
They wore them in Glasgow up to the 1930s I believe - and also in Edinburgh City Police (but not Midlothian & Peebles Constabulary). PC Murdoch in the Sunday Post's Oor Wullie wore one up until just a couple of years ago!Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff