Name/Title
Sussex Constabulary pocket notebook 1968-1969Entry/Object ID
2367Description
Sussex Constabulary pocket notebook, consisting of entries on 144 numbered lined pages, issued to PS Hother on 20th February 1968 and covering the period 21st February 1968 until 26th August 1969. Printed to the front "Sussex Constabulary" and hand written "PS Hother 21.2.68 to 26.8.69". Date stamped at rear "Sussex Constabulary 20 Feb 1968 Police Station Brighton B". Contains timed and dated handwritten entries in ink.Use
For an officer to record their duties and any relevant information, including evidence and visits by supervisorsContext
Since the 19th century police officers have been issued with pocket notebooks to record anything relevant during their periods of duty, and they would often be referred to when an officer gave evidence at court. Generally the use of these notebooks has not changed significantly over the last 100 years and there are strict guidelines concerning their use. In the past as now, they are signed out to officers and date stamped. Each page is numbered to prevent removal and officers are instructed to note leave spaces, so that entries can be backdated. The time an officer begins his duty and finishes, together with any breaks should be recorded and any entry should be timed. Often notebooks would have leather notebook covers.
This particular notebook was used by Sergeant Herbert Hother during his first two years in the newly formed Sussex Constabulary, he having previously been a sergeant in Brighton Borough Police. It contains the usual timed and dated entries normally found in officer's notebooks, with one addition. A sergeant was required to meet the constables under his supervision whilst they were on their allotted foot patrol areas, or "beats". Hence this book contains timed entries with and officer's surname, their beat number and the location of the meeting. As a sergeant PS Hother may well have driven to the meeting places. In earlier times supervisors would often use bicycles to visit their constables. This notebook has a cut away tapered rear cover so that it can easily be slotted into and held in a leather notebook cover.
Notebooks almost identical to this one are still issued in Sussex Police. However officers are encouraged to use mobile devices more to record their activities, and in some police forces pocket notebooks have been withdrawn altogether.