Name/Title
Sussex Police assistant chief constable's cap c1985Entry/Object ID
956.2Description
Black wool cap worn, with chequered band, single "silver"laurel band around the peak, leather chinstrap, and small silver plated buttons with a Queen's crown with a laurel wreath. Fitted with a Queen's crown Sussex Police "EIIR" silver plated blue enamel senior officers' cap badge with voided centre.Use
For use by John Dibley when he was an assistant chief constable in Sussex Police.Context
It has long been practice for senior police officers to have rank insignia on their uniform caps as well as on their tunics. Since the 20th century officers of the rank of inspector and above have had some form of insignia on their caps. A single braided laurel band designates either a deputy or assistant chief constable.
This particular cap was worn by Assistant Chief Constable John Dibley, who held that rank between 1976 and 1989, and is probably the last cap he used before retirement. It has the Sussex Police senior officer's enamelled EIIR cap badge that was introduced in 1974 and used until an all ranks cap badge was introduced in 1995. Prior to 1995 constables and sergeants had a different cap badge to the ranks of inspector and above. Until the late 1960s it was common practice for officers of the rank of superintendent and above to have solid silver badges, all be it of exactly the same design as those used by inspectors. In Sussex Constabulary and Sussex Police silver plated badges were used instead. This cap is also fitted with silver plated chief officer style buttons which attach the chinstrap. The use of these on subsequent Sussex Police chief officer caps varies depending it seems on the manufacturer used. For a comparison between this and an assistant chief constable's cap from after 1995 see item 2173.
In recent years from approximately 2005, it has become common practice for chief officer ranks in Sussex to have far more elaborate cap badges than other ranks, and in some cases far more elaborate peak braiding than previously used. This is in contrast to the very utilitarian uniforms that more junior officers are required to wear.
In John Dibley's time as assistant chief constable, Sussex had three officers in the role as well as a deputy chief constable, but in recent years dropped to two assistant chief constables and a deputy. However as by 2024 the number has risen to four.