Name/Title
Sussex Police female officer's "Bowler" hat c1984Entry/Object ID
2423Description
Blue felt covered re-enforced female officer's bowler style hat, fitted with chequered band and a voided round Queen's crown "Sussex Police EIIR" cap badge. Has a harness type chin strap and padding. Marked inside "Made In England Christy's of London Pathfinder". Since arriving at the museum the badge has been secured to the band with tabs to prevent it falling off, as the original slot for the slider has worn through.Use
For use by a female constable or sergeantContext
From 1973 Sussex Constabulary and Sussex Police like most other forces, issued white topped "Surrey" style hats to female police officers.
However by the 1980s with increased public order situations taking place there were concerns regarding officers' safety. Male officers began to be issued with re-enforced custodian helmets and there was a need for similar protection for female officers. This led to the development of the bowler style hat which was widely adopted in 1985.
This particular example was issued to WPC Alison Harrison who joined Sussex Police in June 1984 and was only in uniform until 1988. It has the Sussex Police lower ranks cap badge which was used between 1974 and 1995. While these hats replaced the "Surrey" style hats in Sussex and elsewhere in 1985, within Sussex Police they were issued to new recruits from as early as April 1984. Alison remembers being issued with one when she joined in June 1984 and being told by staff at the clothing store that her and female colleagues in the same intake, were amongst the first to be issued with them. When they arrived at the Ashford Police Training Centre, they were the only officers in their training intake, to have this new style of hat, with most other forces that were training there, still issuing their new recruits with the old "Surrey" style hats. Alison knows another ex female officer who joined Sussex Police in April 1984 who was also issued with a "bowler" and a female training sergeant who was issued with one in March 1984.
The hat pictured, from Alison, was issued to her upon joining the police and certainly shows considerable signs of wear.
Bowler style hats continued to be standard headwear for female officers in Sussex Police until 2018, when they were given the option of wearing either bowlers, or uniform caps, the same as male officers. Re-enforced bowlers are still however required to be worn in potential public order situations.