Name/Title
Sussex Police assistant chief constable's tunic 2000 - 2003Entry/Object ID
610Description
Black wool assistant chief constable's open necked tunic with four large buttons to the front, two breast pockets and two hip pockets, all pockets having small buttons. Attached to each shoulder is a silver wire wreath insignia badge containing crossed tipstaves and each lapel has an applied gorget patch with a silver threaded stripe topped with a small silver plated button with a Queen's crown enclosed within a wreath. All of the other buttons are chrome plated and marked "Sussex Police" with a Queen's Crown. Over the left breast pocket is a medal ribbon for the Police Long Service and Good Conduct medal. Attached inside is an embroidered label marked "J.Compton Sons and Webb Ltd by Appointment to HM The Queen Uniform Makers" and a size label marked "J.Compton Sons and Webb Ltd Sussex Police Jacket Male size 29B Chest 108 Height 181-185" and on the reverse hand-written on blue ink some numbers and letters and the name "Westlake".Use
For use by Sussex Police Assistant Chief Constable Peter WestlakeContext
In the past it was common for chief officer ranks to have better quality tunics than those of other officers. These were either obtained privately by the individuals or on their behalf by police force uniform departments. Sometimes these uniforms were bespoke for the officers concerned. In Sussex Police this practice seems to have been in decline by the late 1980s/early 1990s, with assistant chief constables in particular wearing modified versions of off the peg tunics, as worn by all officers. However there was some inconsistency, Sir Roger Birch the chief constable until 1993 wore specially made tunics (item 1837) and even his replacement Paul Whitehouse, though preferring off the peg tunics, still adopted a more elaborate style than that issued to most officers, with a belt and epaulettes (item 611). This situation has continued , at least with Sussex chief constables, with the last male one, Giles York who retired in 2020, favouring a belted tunic with epaulettes, unlike that available to other officers.
This particular tunic was issued to Assistant Chief Constable Peter Westlake, who was in post in from January 2000 until February 2003. These tunics without a belt or epaulettes were adopted for the majority of male officers in Sussex Police in the late 1980s, replacing a very similar style, which had distinctive protruding upper lapels and was made by "Grantham". Other than the addition of gorget patches, replacing Sussex Police shield lapel badges, this tunic is identical to those issued to all lower ranked uniform male officers in the force, not withstanding that they would have had different or no rank insignia. The tunic pictured is fitted with standard "Sussex Police" buttons, but other all ranks tunics modified for assistant chief constables (items 956 and 342) had such buttons replaced with generic chief officer buttons. The medal ribbon is for the Police Long Service and Good Conduct medal, which at the time this tunic was in use, would have been issued after 22 years service. After 2010, the time required to qualify was reduced to 20 years to bring the police in line with the other emergency services.
These tunics were subsequently replaced in the mid 1990s with a simpler version with much inferior buttons only decorated with a crown and no wording. In 2002 Sussex Police stopped issuing tunics to most officers and thereafter a stock was held by the clothing store to be temporarily issued to officers when needed for ceremonial occasions. These were to be returned afterwards for future re use and re numbering. After this time tunics were no longer required to be worn by officers attending court, which had previously been the rule.
This tunic is shown with an open necked shirt for display purposes only, as it would have been worn with a tie.