Police uniforms and equipment in the United Kingdom

Both what is worn and what is carried have varied considerably from the inception of the earliest recognisable mainstream police services in the early 19th century.

From a variety of home grown uniforms, bicycles, swords and pistols the British police force evolved in look and equipment through the long coats and top hat, to the recognisable modern uniform of a white shirt, black tie, reflective jackets, body armour, and the battenburg-marked vehicles, to the present-day Airwave Solutions radios, electric vehicles and tasers.

The lists of police uniforms and equipment here are not exhaustive, nor specific for each force, but give a general overview of typical 'kit' used in the United Kingdom.

They usually have: Extra equipment, such as a first aid kit (including a pocket mask, disposable gloves, germicidal wipes, hypoallergenic tape, wound dressings, a triangular bandage, and sterile plasters),[7] may be stored in a patrol car.

[8] From the 1990s, it was generally accepted that the police could patrol in "shirt-sleeve order" which meant that they need not wear the jacket, as its widespread use was an impediment in some situations.

Although there are minor variations in the styling, pattern and insignia, the police forces of Great Britain, Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar all wear very similar uniforms.

Despite the service being unarmed, the then Home Secretary, Robert Peel, gave authorisation to the Commissioner to purchase fifty flintlock pistols, for exceptional incidents that required the use of firearms.

Due to the deaths of officers at the hands of armed criminals in the outer districts of the Metropolis, and after much press coverage debating whether Peel's service should be fully armed, the Commissioner applied to the Home Secretary to supply all officers on the outer districts with revolvers.

From 1829, to 1839, Metropolitan Police officers wore blue swallowtail coats with high collars to counter garroting.

In an emergency, duty bands could also be issued as the sole item of uniform if large numbers of special constables were required.

Female officers' uniforms have gone through a great variety of styles, as they have tended to reflect the women's fashions of the time.

[11] Basic headgear for police officers is a peaked cap for men and a round bowler style hat for women.

This band is not worn in the Police Service of Northern Ireland, where female officers also wear a peaked cap of a different pattern.

The custodian helmet is worn on foot duty by male constables and sergeants (outside Scotland and Northern Ireland).

However, in 2021 Chief Constable Mark Roberts brought peaked caps and custodian helmets back into service.

[19] West Yorkshire Police and (from May 2018) Hertfordshire Constabulary give female officers the option to wear a peaked cap instead of a bowler if they prefer to do so.

Similarly, Staffordshire Police allows female officers to wear custodian helmets for public order duties if they so desire.

[22] The uniform of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is bottle green, divergent from the dark blue traditionally used in Great Britain.

Prior to the introduction of Airwave, all police radio systems were force-specific, with limited capacity for forces to talk to neighbours or to facilitate working in groups away from the direction of the control room.

[25] In the United Kingdom (with the exception of Northern Ireland), the majority of police officers do not routinely carry firearms.

The British Transport Police have armed officers who have been specially trained in firearms operations, and were first deployed in early 2012.

Their effects are designed to be short-lived and exposure to fresh moving air will normally result in a significant recovery within 15–20 minutes.

[30] Aerosol incapacitants are classified as prohibited weapons by virtue of Section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968 and possession of such sprays is therefore illegal by the general public.

[31] Police officers, as Crown servants, are exempt from the requirements of the legislation and can have lawful possession of an incapacitant spray whilst acting in their capacity as a constable or where necessary for the purposes of their duty.

Long, rigid American-style batons were then introduced, first by the Metropolitan Police and then by other forces, but in many places these were short lived, mainly due to their being unwieldy in most operational circumstances.

The restrictions on the activities listed above do not apply "for the purposes of functions carried out on behalf of the Crown",[33] which includes water bailiffs, immigration officers and police constables.

Police Helicopters are required by the CAA to be marked in a standard 'high conspicuousness' paint scheme, to make them more visible and avoid the possibility of air proximity hazards with other low-flying aircraft.

This paint scheme, also used by UK military training helicopters, requires them to be black on the sides and underneath, and yellow on top.