Name/Title
Sussex Police male constable's tunic c1985Entry/Object ID
2026Description
Black/blue wool 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 chrome plated letter "B" and the numbers "579", and each lapel has a chrome plated Sussex Police coat of arms shield badge. All buttons are chrome plated and marked "Sussex Police with a Queen's Crown. Attached inside is a label marked "Tailored by Grantham in England" and a size label marked "Sussex Police Jacket 2470 Navy Order number 31032 36BR Grantham 12357/157"Use
For use by a male Sussex Police constableContext
After the name of Sussex Constabulary was changed to Sussex Police in 1974, male officers continued to to be issued with exactly the same sort of belted tunic as previously, with the exception that the buttons were marked "Sussex Police".
In the mid 1980s a simpler style of tunic like the one pictured, was introduced. This style of tunic has no belt or epaulettes and the officer's warrant number was instead attached directly to the shoulders. This type of tunic also had simpler pocket flaps to those previously used. Lapel badges with the Sussex Police coat of arms continued to be worn.
This particular tunic is believed to be one of the earlier unbelted versions, as it has distinctive protruding upper lapels and different maker to later ones (item 1091).
The size labels on these tunics show that they were made to set "off the peg" generic sizing and not officer's specific sizes as had previously been the case.
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 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.
The warrant number "B579" shows that this tunic was issued to PC Ian Borthwick, who joined Sussex Police in 1976, serving at Brighton, and retired in 2007.