Quick hat chat

Police officer hats -- maybe you've never given it much thought...

There are of course the obvious ones - the iconic custodian helmet (recognised around the world as the headwear of the British "bobby") and the similar "bowler" (worn by women officers).

But then there's the flat hat. And what about the bump cap? Or the riot helmet? What do they look like, who wears it, and when?

Firstly, I’m talking today about England and Wales police forces - it’s different elsewhere, but I can’t cover everything.

Let’s start with the custodian - it’s iconic, recognised around the world as the headwear of the British "bobby”, and has been for years.

The custodian helmet is worn almost exclusively by male officers on foot patrol, although I've seen a photo of a London City police female officer wearing one, and some other forces have allowed female officers to wear them, but it's rare.

The "bowler" is worn by female officers. But both types of headwear are becoming less and less common - most wear the now ubiquitous flat cap, which can be worn by both male and female officers. Although if wearing "number ones" - ceremonial uniform, tunics - then this is always worn with a custodian/bowler.

Bump caps (like baseball caps but they have a rigid interior for head protection) tend to be worn by search teams, who are often rooting around in small spaces. Baseball caps (blue or black or even fluorescent) are often carried scrunched up in a pocket by plain clothes officers (such as surveillance teams), and worn if they need to be identified as a police officer.

And my final top tip - helmet straps are pretty never worn these days - many officers cut them out of their custodians or bowlers. The last time I saw them being used on any sort of regular basis was during mass public disorder many years ago.

And riot helmets - well that's the public order world - which needs a whole blog post of its own!

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