Name/Title
Sussex Police male constable's tunic c1990Entry/Object ID
2297Description
Black 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 are the chrome plated numbers "44" and each lapel has a chrome plated Sussex Police coat of arms shield badge. There are holes where a letter or letters would have originally been attached to each shoulder over the numbers.All buttons are chrome plated and marked "Sussex Police" with a Queen's Crown. Over the left breast pocket is a blue and white striped medal ribbon. 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 Male Jacket size 19A Chest 112 Length 78Use
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 be issued with exactly the 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 tunic had no belt or epaulettes and the officer's warrant number was instead directly attached to the shoulders. This type of tunic also had simpler pockets flaps to those previously used. Lapel badges with the Sussex Police coat of arms continued to be worn. This particular example dates from c1990 and there is an earlier version made by a different manufacturer which has a distinctive protruding upper lapel (item 2026). The tunic is pictured here with a white shirt for display purposes, but would originally have been worn with a light blue shirt and black tie. Until the mid 1990s most police forces, including Sussex Police, used blue shirts for male constables and sergeants, with only the ranks of inspector and above having white shirts. This tunic is missing the letters which would have made up the officer's warrant number, but there holes where they were attached on each shoulder. The medal ribbon is for the Police Long Service and good conduct medal.
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.