Vintage Police Uniforms

[V.C. Brunswick]

LAPD circa 1890

 

[Atticus Finch]

Rural North Carolina sheriff and deputy sheriff circa early 1960s.

AF

 

[Boyo]

Unusual to Sheriff Taylor wearing his sidearm... Deputy Fife, though 1 bullet left front pocket.

 

[Guttersnipe]

Lieutenant Charles Becker of the NYPD around 1912. An colorful and inordinately corrupt policeman -- even by the standards of the day -- Becker is the only American police officer ever executed for murder:

 

[DeaconKC]

Nice to see this thread up again. I'm a parole Agent, so i am non-uniform now, but let me put a couple of points out there about the "new" look of LEO uniforms. Trousers with stripes on the leg cost about twice what a BDU style pant does, plus is more expensive or fussy to clean, where the BDU just goes in the washing machine. Most departments issue 3-5 pairs of pants a year, so the logistics of a cop washing them adds up in time and money. Plus the BDUs are much more comfortable and rugged. Boots as opposed to shoes give much more support to the ankle and foot. Shirts have changed mostly due to body armor requirements, as the vests are terribly hot, especially down South in the summer. Suspenders have replaced the Sam Browne because of the increase of equipment on the belt as opposed to when you had a revolver, a dump pouch holding 12 rounds, a short baton and maybe a set of cuffs. Now you will have a duty auto, at least 2 magazines holding 10-15 rounds each, a radio, cell phone, pepper spray, Taser, flashlight and usually two sets of cuffs. [lower back injuries are common in this line of work] There is no denying that the classic style of uniform is much more handsome, but this is an area where progress is logical but definitely lacking in aesthetics.

 

[Kirk H.]

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Charlotte-Mecklenburg NC PD during one of the parades at the DNC

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

German Polizei

 

[Matt Crunk]

Maybe there's no film...maybe he just wanted to do it and have a plausible alibi

Haha! Like minds. I've often used the excuse of acquiring "props" and wardrobe for film productions when really it was just an excuse to buy stuff I wanted. Although it can make them tax deductible that way (assuming there is any income from your filmmaking to deduct against).

Speaking of jodhpurs, why do you think they fell out of style with Americans post WWII? Was it the association with Nazi Germany?

 

[Shangas]

Seeing this thread again reminded me of an article I read a few months ago, of Australia's last police tailor finally retiring from his job:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-10/australias-last-police-tailor-to-transition-to-new-job/5311088

 

[Fastuni]

@Brunswick

The Green&khaki police uniform was introduced in the 70s to dissociate the police from the greyish-turqoise color inherited from the 3. Reich.
But since some years it is being replaced in almost all German federal states by ¨international¨ dark-blue...
Bavaria is holding on the greens the longest.

Speaking of jodhpurs, why do you think they fell out of style with Americans post WWII?

Not everywhere...

New Jersey State Police:

 

[Shangas]

From the 1850s until the 1940s, the International Settlement of Shanghai was policed by the Shanghai Municipal Police, staffed by both White and Chinese officers, to handle the Settlement's international residents:

Here they are, in 1930. The SMP lasted until 1943, when the land of the Settlement was officially returned to the Chinese Government.

Due to its cosmopolitan nature, the International Settlement employed officers from all nationalities and ethnicities.

These Indian Sikhs were also SMP officers.

 

[Edward]

One of the characters in Ripper Street has a backstory involving time in such a police outfit, though now I think about it I'm not sure if he was Shanghai or Hong Kong...

New Jersey State Police:

Ah, see they look like police. Here in London, they're moving the Met ever-closer to those novelty uniforms where they wander about in a short sleeve shirt, or - even worse - a t-shirt with a printed logo. Such a shame. Increasingly they look more like event bouncers than police. I find it hard to respect their authority if the force has so little respect for them.

 

[gman41]

This picture above is of the Massachusetts state police who do look somewhat similar to our New Jersey Troopers with the exception of the high jack boots only worn by Massachusetts.

The NJ state police have a saying...78 years of tradition uninhibited by change.

They have no short sleeve shirt at all and will never be seen without a hat which is fitted to ensure they have to keep their heads up straight to see. They also have no winter coat and only the suit type coat you see above. They wear a yellow or gold stripe on their pants. They wear the patch only on their right shoulder since way back when they used motorcycles in the 1930s and the patch was seen by motorists as they pulled alongside of the drivers door to stop them and issue a summons.

I find it amazing that this site is about tradition and yet some would equate them with nazis. They are all about tradition as are the Massachusetts state police. This is what cops wore back in the golden age.

I have been a municipal police officer here for 25 years. Uniforms are a department thing, some are heavily into them, some are not so particular. Hats are not comfortable and pretty much useless except in the rain. Police uniforms are very expensive since you can only get them from a few places, they have a captive market. Some of mine are handmade from a place in Lakewood NJ called Red The Uniform tailor who makes them for NJ State Police, Rhode Island and all around the country. I have a handmade leather jacket from Franco leather in Elizabeth NJ, another one is Passaic leather who also makes each one custom by hand. The handmade uniforms are mostly wool and the quality is obvious with long tails and extra fabric on the button rows. The NJ State Police have a long wool greatcoat that is no longer made and very coveted by those who can have someone pass them down as they retire out. In the end no one really cares what you look like, just as long as you are able to help them when they need it. Nobody is looking for a tie, or a hat, they just know they hate you for giving them a summons, or they love you for saving their behind.

 

[gman41]

Take note of the body armor in the Shanghai police picture.

 

[Annixter]

Ah, see they look like police. Here in London, they're moving the Met ever-closer to those novelty uniforms where they wander about in a short sleeve shirt, or - even worse - a t-shirt with a printed logo. Such a shame. Increasingly they look more like event bouncers than police. I find it hard to respect their authority if the force has so little respect for them.

In the same line of reasoning, I don't respect police officers who use radios, automobiles/motorcycles, who carry guns, or who don't wear capes. Maybe some modern departments have more casual uniforms because they're learning from bouncers that heavy, layered wool uniforms (while they evoke the traditional authoritative figure to some) aren't the most practical attire for agility and endurance, as in speed during drawing a weapon/grappling and endurance in not overheating under physical strain). If new forms of attire help officers stay safe and do their job, and if police departments recommend/require such uniforms, I don't see why it is hard to respect their authority if they continue to perform their duty.

 

[SHOWSOMECLASS]

Same here gman, folks want Police/EMS/Fire assistance but when we show up no one knows who pulled the Fire Alarm for the 20th time in their building or who called 911. Most people who see us are not "citizens" and do not care what our service cost the tax payers, who was endangered by the 911 response, and was this a real emergency. The U.S. has turned 911 into a end all be all for common sense. Funny smell 911, I feel sick 911, neighbor burning leaves 911, any time you call the Doctor his nurse will tell you 911 to cover his tail and future litigation.
Please tell me if you are dumb and lack "horse sense" why not call 911?
Regarding uni's, sorry it doesn't matter what the folks who show up wear! It the same s**t different day. Most of the front line guys say we need to be identified but from there lets wear what is comfortable.

 

[Edward]

In the same line of reasoning, I don't respect police officers who use radios, automobiles/motorcycles, who carry guns, or who don't wear capes. Maybe some modern departments have more casual uniforms because they're learning from bouncers that heavy, layered wool uniforms (while they evoke the traditional authoritative figure to some) aren't the most practical attire for agility and endurance, as in speed during drawing a weapon/grappling and endurance in not overheating under physical strain). If new forms of attire help officers stay safe and do their job, and if police departments recommend/require such uniforms, I don't see why it is hard to respect their authority if they continue to perform their duty.

There's obviously a reasonable limit here. I don't consider radio / vehicles / GPRS / et cetera to be remotely comparable to replacing a decent uniform with fancy dress. I'm sure once practicality weighs in, along with a lot of folks on the job who don't necessarily give a stuff about what looks good or is traditional or whatever, there are a lot of things to weigh in the balance, which is fair enough, really. Interestingly, over here when it comes to resistance to that sort of change to uniforms, it seems to be the polis themselves who provide the primary opposition. Certainly with regards to the Met here in London.

Take note of the body armor in the Shanghai police picture.

Looks like it might be silk. Be interesting to see more about the composition of those. Silk armour goes way back to ancient China; silk was used as a primary component because it apparently is very resistant to tearing on the end of an arrow-point, or a blade (obviously there would need to be some padding in there too or an arrow would just carry it on into the body by sheer force). I doubt it would stop a gun, but it might well be the basis for a pretty effective stab-vest. Certainly that ancient armour is a likely root of the design for what we see in that photo.

I find it amazing that this site is about tradition and yet some would equate them with nazis. They are all about tradition as are the Massachusetts state police. This is what cops wore back in the golden age.

No-one here has equated any police force with Nazis. The question that has been raised is whether a certain style of jodhpur has been dropped from uniform by many police forces since 1942ish because so many people readily associate those jodhpurs with Nazi uniforms, particularly the SS, and the officer classes of Nazi-era Germany military personnel more generally (a lot of folks don't care to distinguish the political from the military in that context). It doesn't seem an unreasonable question.

Hats are not comfortable and pretty much useless except in the rain.

Dangerous statement in these parts, Officer.

 

[gman41]

I understand the hat issue here! Police hats go back to the days of when most cops served in the military through the draft and were indoctrinated into the wearing of them whenever outside. Since most cops these days have not served in the military the wearing of them has eased over the years it seems and is not a priority of most bosses. NYPD still enforces it however. They serve no purpose other than give the appearance the user is taller. In my early time no cop would ever wear a wool watch cap, now they are in use more. We were even discouraged from using the fur hat with the fold down flaps and could only get away with it on extreme weather days. Personally I prefer this hat with the badge on it over the wool watch cap.

Today cops are moving to the BDU type uniform which is cheaper and easier to clean. In my time we wore ties with long sleeves, PERIOD! now we wear a turtle neck which too is more practical. The clip on tie served no purpose and since we switched to turtle necks or dickies no one has ever asked where our tie is when we show up to a call.

Could this be a reflection of the general population not being as formal at work as they once were? and why do you expect a police officer to be in a tie while your physician is not.

I have seen some NYPD guys in the double breasted wool coats on trips to New York. I think these too are relics past down.

My hand made shirts and pants are wool. These breathe more than the polyester ones which do not breath at all. I can feel the wind on my sleeves but not my body where the bullet proof vest is. They take weeks to be made, and have a tag with the date and your name sewn in on the tails or waistline. I destroy all uniforms when no longer serviceable to ensure they do not fall into the wrong hands.

Leather is no longer issued as they cost a boatload compared to the fabric jackets.

Police should look intimidating. This sometimes scares people and stops anyone from getting foolish which could result in the civilian being hurt in a fight to subdue them, or the police officer being assaulted.

Are police your friend ?, my answer is no, we are an authority figure just like your boss is. We can do it with compassion and respect and courtesy, but in the end we need to have that level of respect or fear when we are on scene.

 

[Edward]

I understand the hat issue here! Police hats go back to the days of when most cops served in the military through the draft and were indoctrinated into the wearing of them whenever outside. Since most cops these days have not served in the military the wearing of them has eased over the years it seems and is not a priority of most bosses. NYPD still enforces it however. They serve no purpose other than give the appearance the user is taller. In my early time no cop would ever wear a wool watch cap, now they are in use more. We were even discouraged from using the fur hat with the fold down flaps and could only get away with it on extreme weather days. Personally I prefer this hat with the badge on it over the wool watch cap.

I can't quite imagine any uniformed police in a watch cap - seems a kind of sloppy look to my mind, when they're out dealing with the public. I'd definitely prefer what sounds like a Ushanka.... though I can well imagine whoever holds the pursestrings feeling differently on that score.

Today cops are moving to the BDU type uniform which is cheaper and easier to clean. In my time we wore ties with long sleeves, PERIOD! now we wear a turtle neck which too is more practical. The clip on tie served no purpose and since we switched to turtle necks or dickies no one has ever asked where our tie is when we show up to a call.

Could this be a reflection of the general population not being as formal at work as they once were? and why do you expect a police officer to be in a tie while your physician is not.

Could be.... though perhaps I'd suggest it's less thought out than that - it's simply a reflection of the ever-increasingly casual nature of scoiety as a whole. It was the same when the Olympics in London, or various realted charity collections here use uniformed military personnel, but they're all in combat dress rather than actual dress uniform (I'm certain there are other reasons for that too, but that's politics).

My hand made shirts and pants are wool. These breathe more than the polyester ones which do not breath at all. I can feel the wind on my sleeves but not my body where the bullet proof vest is. They take weeks to be made, and have a tag with the date and your name sewn in on the tails or waistline.

Repalcing wool with synthetics seems to be a common move. When, as part of the peace process, the old Royal Ulster Constabulary in the North of Ireland was rebranded as the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the changed the uniform. Aside from it becoming a bit more casualised, the quality of the pieces dropped through the floor, according to folks on the inside. Crying shame, really, as it was a beautiful uniform back when.

Leather is no longer issued as they cost a boatload compared to the fabric jackets.

Yeah, it was always invitable it would be repalced by nylon or similar, much as the USAAF did.

Police should look intimidating. This sometimes scares people and stops anyone from getting foolish which could result in the civilian being hurt in a fight to subdue them, or the police officer being assaulted.

Are police your friend ?, my answer is no, we are an authority figure just like your boss is. We can do it with compassion and respect and courtesy, but in the end we need to have that level of respect or fear when we are on scene.

Absolutely agreed - they need to look like and be authority figures, they're not there to be your pal. That's my big issue with some of the dumbed down uniforms I've seen.... Can't recall where it was, but I've seen polis with a logo-embroidered poloshirt, and short trousers. Looked ridiculous. Can't imagine I'd not do as told, given they were armed, but it looked like they'd gone from the works gym to the beat without bothering to shower and change.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Absolutely agreed - they need to look like and be authority figures, they're not there to be your pal. That's my big issue with some of the dumbed down uniforms I've seen.... Can't recall where it was, but I've seen polis with a logo-embroidered poloshirt, and short trousers. Looked ridiculous. Can't imagine I'd not do as told, given they were armed, but it looked like they'd gone from the works gym to the beat without bothering to shower and change.

What about a police officer on horseback? In my town, we have mounted officers at both the city and county level. I actually like the city mounted patrol uniforms,



not so much the county, as they look too cowboyish.