Name/Title
Sussex Police Community Support Officer's cap 2018 to presentEntry/Object ID
2457Description
Black wool cap with blue band, plastic chin strap, and fitted with a star shaped "Sussex Police" Queen's crown enamelled voided coat of arms cap badge. Marked inside "55 6 7/8".Use
For use by a male or female Sussex Police Community Support OfficerContext
In 2002 police community support officers or pcso's, were introduced in England and Wales. Though they are not warranted officers, they have limited powers and are intended to provide uniform support to officers. Their introduction came in response to repeated demands from the public for a greater uniform patrol presence, especially on foot, with calls to put more uniformed police officers on "the beat". Because they required less training than regular officers, they were seen as a speedy and cost effective way of increasing a uniformed presence within the community. Most pcso's work in police community teams as part of neighbourhood policing, giving re-assurance and working closely with local groups. Nationally, their precise role varies from police force to police force, with some areas giving their pcso's considerably more powers and responsibilities than others.
The first PCSO's in Sussex Police were recruited in 2003 and their role has evolved over time. To begin with they were deployed within specific areas but in 2016 their numbers were reduced and they were given a more flexible role, with some additional responsibilities, to be deployed across much larger areas, responding to specific and changing needs. However by 2020, with increased numbers, they once again were allocated specific communities, with a renewed emphasis on rural areas.
To begin within Sussex Police PCSOs were issued the same caps and bowler hats as their police officer colleagues, however instead of a black and white checkered hat band, a blue and white one was used. Also to begin with a large blue shield badge was used, specifically identifying them as community support officers, with the wording "Community Support Sussex Police". In time, c2005, badge was replaced with a badge very similar to the Sussex Police all ranks voided and enamelled coat of arms badge, but with the word "Police" replaced with "PCSO". In more recent years these cap badges were replaced with the standard Sussex Police all ranks cap badge, with the word "Police", presumably to save money and to ease supply.
This particular cap has the later standard 2002 Sussex Police cap badge as discussed above. It also has blue band, which replaced the checkered one in 2018, bringing Sussex more in line with national PCSO uniforms and more importantly with Surrey Police, whom Sussex shares its uniform procurement with. Until then blue hat bands in Sussex had only been used by volunteer cadets. Also in 2018, Sussex Police began to give both regular female officers and female PCSO's the option of wearing caps instead of bowlers. So the cap pictured could have been issued to either a male of female Sussex Police PCSO, some time after 2018.