Custodian helmet

[1] First used by the Metropolitan Police in London in 1863, the BBC labelled the custodian helmet a "symbol of British law enforcement".

[2] The custodian helmet is the headgear traditionally worn by male police constables and sergeants while on foot patrol in England and Wales.

[3] Officers of all ranks in most forces are also issued a flat, peaked cap that is worn on mobile patrol in a vehicle.

However, some inspectors wear the custodian helmet, but with two silver bands around the base (to match the two pips worn as rank insignia) to denote their position.

[2] In 1863, the Metropolitan Police replaced the previous uniform of white trousers, swallow-tailed coat and top hat in favour of very dark blue trousers, a more modern button up tunic and the early type of helmet which had an upturned brim at the front and a raised spine at the back, running from the bottom to the top of the helmet, which became known as the "coxcomb".

Until the 1970s, and in certain areas the 1980s, the helmet internally had only a sweat band to allow it to sit correctly on the wearer's head, with a single chin strap.

Internally they were padded with foam fitted into the shell of the helmet with a webbing-style harness to allow it to sit on the head in the correct manner.

The traditional cork construction often led CID personnel to call their uniformed colleagues "woodentops" (the name of a children's TV programme).

[12][13] Other forces may allow individual female officers to wear custodians if preferred, but will otherwise issue them with bowlers or flat caps by default.

Thames Valley Police discarded the helmet in 2009 due to budget constraints but brought them back for use in 2018 following a successful trial in Reading, whereas West Yorkshire Police announced that helmets would cease to be worn after 2015 because staff found them unsuitable for normal duties.

A few months later the custodian helmet was brought back and peaked caps were no longer issued to officers below the rank of Inspector.

[22] In modern production, hat makers take approximately 30 minutes to complete a single custodian helmet,[23] all of which are made by only four companies: Hobson and Sons (London) Ltd; Christys, of Stockport; Compton Webb (C.W.

[1] The initial process begins with the making of the helmet shell using a vacuum forming machine and a metal mould.

Once it is dry, black plastic piping is sewn around the brim of the helmet to reinforce it and give it a neater edge.

For comb-style helmets, the crest, which has vent holes incorporated into the design, is also fixed by prongs or simply glued into place at the top end of the comb.

A cultural icon, the custodian helmet has featured in films, TV series and other media involving British police.

[28][29][30][31] Appearing as minor characters in international media (such as Mary Poppins (1964) and Sherlock Holmes (2009)), constables on foot patrol wearing their custodian helmet have also appeared in the background of shots to indicate a traditional British setting (much like other features unique to a British street such as the red telephone box, the red double-decker bus or a black taxi which have been used as an establishing shot for London).

"[36] Helmets closely following the British model were widely worn by the police forces of Canada, Australia and New Zealand from the late nineteenth century on.

These were eventually discarded as being inconvenient to wear when in vehicles or providing insufficient protection from the sun when on foot patrol.

[37] The New Zealand Police retained a white version of the custodian helmet until the 1990s, when it was replaced by peaked hats and more recently baseball caps.

Certain Italian municipal police forces use a white custodian-style helmet, particularly in open air duties, such as when directing traffic.

[39] Jordanian police officers in some assignments wear a custodian cover topped with a spike and incorporating a cloth shade for the back of the neck.

Several photographs exist that show a funeral procession for a fallen officer (John (Jack) L. Briscoe) in Stockton, California.

[42] Some of the line officers in the procession wore a modified custodian helmet with a leather band just above the rim and a silver badge on the front.