Helmets closely following the British model were widely worn by the police forces of Canada, Australia and New Zealand from the late nineteenth century on until they were replaced. The New Zealand Police retained a white version until the 1990s. Other names for a Custodian Helmet Female officers usually wear a bowler with a badge. Recently, efforts have been made to make headwear more gender-neutral. An example of this is Hertfordshire Police who have given officers the option to wear identical headwear, regardless of gender. Why do some police officers wear Baseball caps? The custodian helmet is the headgear traditionally worn by male police constables and sergeants while on foot patrol in England and Wales. [3] Officers of all ranks in most forces are also issued a flat, peaked cap that is worn on mobile patrol in a vehicle. Ranks above sergeant wear the peaked cap only. However, some inspectors wear the custodian helmet, but with two silver bands around the base (to match the two pips worn as rank insignia) to denote their position. [4]

Since the 1950s, helmets have no longer been worn by police officers in Scotland, but may be seen worn by Metropolitan Police officers when on Royal duties in Scotland. They ceased to be worn in Northern Ireland after the 1920s, except for night patrol work in Belfast and Derry until the early 1960s. van Grinsven, Michel. "Politiehelmen". Pictures from a private collection. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011 . Retrieved October 3, 2010. Major R. M. Barnes, p. 257, "A History of the Regiments & Uniforms of the British Army, First Sphere Books, 1972. As well as in the UK, other forces currently using the custodian helmet include the States of Jersey Police, States of Guernsey Police Service, Isle of Man Constabulary, Royal Gibraltar Police, and Bermuda Police. The term "custodian" originated as a specific make of helmet used in Britain in the late-twentieth century. Because of this, "custodian" was never an official or unofficial name for similar helmets worn in other parts of the Commonwealth. The New Zealand Police retained a white version of the custodian helmet until the 1990s. The same helmet was used by the Samoa police, who still make limited use of it. The Toronto Police Service discontinued regular use of the helmet in 1945 in favour of a forage cap [37] but retains the white helmet for use by the Toronto Police Chief's Ceremonial Unit. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary currently uses the helmet for some officers (usually senior) and for special events.The traditional cork construction often led CID personnel to call their uniformed colleagues "woodentops" (the name of a children's TV programme). Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2000-10-14 . Retrieved 2010-12-13. {{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title ( link) Archived copy". Archived from the original on 1999-11-10 . Retrieved 2010-12-13. {{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title ( link)

The custodian helmet is a type of helmet worn predominantly by male police officers in the United Kingdom, within England and Wales, and certain other places around the world. [1] First used by the Metropolitan Police in London in 1863, the BBC labelled the custodian helmet a "symbol of British law enforcement". [2] They are worn by male constables and sergeants on foot patrol. [3] A cultural icon, it has featured in films, TV series and other media involving British police. [2] History [ edit ] Some sources suggest it was inspired by the hat worn by the Prussian Army. This ‘custodian helmet’ was made of cork and so was a lot lighter than the previous design. Due to it being made of cork, it led to police officers sometimes being called ‘woodentops’. Why do police wear hats?

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Police forces in the UK did not issue custodian helmets to Special Constables up until around 1995; however those forces retaining the helmet now issue them to all male officers.Here you will find a free knitting pattern for a Child's Folded Top Bobble Hatmade in double knitting yarn The introduction of baseball caps hasn’t occurred without criticism from the general public, who have compared police officers to ‘Burger King workers’. As a result, some police forces have decided to revert the decision and return to the standard custodial helmet whilst other, more appropriate gender-neutral headwear has been decided upon. Why do traffic police wear white hats? A Custodian Helmet is also known as a Policeman’s Helmet or Centurion Helmet and technically known as a ‘Home Office Pattern Helmet’. The Custodian Helmet is worn by policemen in England and Wales as the traditional headgear of the ‘Bobby on the beat’, worn by constables and sergeants on foot patrol. A Peaked Cap is worn by officers on mobile patrol in cars. Generally, police officers are required to wear hats except in exceptional circumstances such as emergencies and whilst driving. Why do female police officers wear different hats? Helmet from the United Kingdom The custodian helmet used by the Metropolitan Police Service in London

They are responsible for attending to and controlling road-related incidents, whether minor or serious. Therefore, it is incredibly important to be visible as traffic police often work in potentially dangerous environments by managing traffic and clearing incidents. Many collisions occur on motorways due to the high volume of fast-moving vehicles. This, therefore, provides a potential danger for traffic police when dealing with accidents. Of the 43 Home Office territorial forces in England and Wales, 20 currently use the comb style, eighteen use the rosetop style, and four use the ball style. Some forces wore spikes on top of the helmet, although these have now been completely phased out.The traffic police or the ‘roads policing’ as they are sometimes known are responsible for policing the roads in the UK. The main reason that traffic police wear white hats is for visibility. In 2006/7 Gwent Police and North Wales Police replaced all headgear in favour of baseball caps. In 2010/12 the two forces announced that peaked caps and helmets would return as baseball caps were seen as unprofessional and difficult for the public to see and recognise as police headgear. This change to revert to wearing helmets led to all forces in Wales to continue wearing the custodian helmet. West Yorkshire Police states that ‘Headwear must be worn at all times when performing duty outside.’ Although this can be removed in a vehicle or in times of an emergency. Both chin straps can be folded up inside the helmet when not in use for more strenuous activity. Most officers choose not to use the chin strap for day-to-day duties. The wearing of Custodian Helmets led to CID (Criminal Investigation Department) calling their uniformed colleagues ‘woodentops’.