Name/Title
Sussex Police chief constable's cap 1993 - 1995Entry/Object ID
234Description
Black wool cap with chequered band and a two "silver" laurel bands around the peak, with a plastic chin strap, secured with small silver plated buttons, marked with a Queen's crown inside a laurel wreath. It is fitted with star shaped Queen's crown "Sussex Police EIIR" silver/mock silver plated cap badge with a blue enamel ring. The retaining strap on one side of the chinstrap is broken. Makers marks "Gieves and Hawkes Ltd Saville Row" and royal warrants. There is also handwritten label marked "7 1/4"Use
For use by a male chief constable in Sussex PoliceContext
It has long been practice for senior police officers to have rank insignia on their uniform caps as well as on their uniform tunics. Since the 20th century officers of the rank of inspector and above have had some form of insignia on their caps. Two silver coloured braided laurel bands designate a chief constable.
This particular cap has the Sussex Police senior officer's "EIIR" badge that was in use from 1974 until 1995. It is a silver plated example rather than the standard chrome plated type, and these were reserved for the most senior officers. Until the late 1960s it was common practice for officers of superintendent rank and above to have solid silver badges, all be it of exactly the same design as those used by Inspectors. However within Sussex Constabulary and Sussex Police only plated examples were used. This cap is also fitted with two silver plated buttons attaching the chinstrap. Whilst common until the 1990s, the use of these on chief officer caps in Sussex has varied in subsequent years, largely depending it would seem on which manufacturer was used.
This hat is believed to have been used by Paul Whitehouse who was the chief constable from 1993 until 2001 and would have been used by him at least until 1995. After that date Sussex Police adopted an enamelled cap badge with the force coat of arms, that was to be used by all officers. Caps with badges such as this were also used by the two preceding chief constable's of Sussex Police, Sir George Terry and Sir Roger Birch.
In recent years from approximately 2005 it has become common practice for chief officer ranks in Sussex Police to have far more elaborate cap badges than all 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.