Norfolk in traditional police uniforms trial

Norfolk Constabulary officers will lead a trial in returning to traditional uniforms with white shirts, a move designed to promote a “smart, professional and approachable appearance” among officers.

Forty-seven officers from the Wymondham Neighbourhood Protection Team will forego the more modern black zip-up polo shirts in favour of new design white shirts, made with modern wicking fabric to allow extra comfort and to be suitable under body armour.

The trial will cost around £2,150, with a review after four weeks determining whether to extend the scheme across other parts of the force. Should the trial be successful, a competitive tendering process will begin to keep manufacturing costs for the new uniform low.

Assistant Chief Constable Gareth Wilson, who is leading the project, said: “The new white shirt is practical whilst projecting an image that is professional and smart and has been designed to meet the rigours of modern day policing.”

Dave Benfield, general secretary of Norfolk Police Federation, said: “Norfolk Police Federation fully supports the trial. Our members will continue to provide a first class policing service whatever uniform they are required to wear, however, the Federation view is that a return to white shirts can only enhance that positive first impression which individual officers strive to achieve.”

The move was welcomed by Derek Barnett, president of the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales (PSAEW), who said a return to more traditionally-styled attire was not about  “harking back to ‘the good old days’” but listening to the public.

“I think it’s a sign that some police forces may have introduced a style of uniform in an unplanned way, so I think that it’s a recognition of how we look and how standards of grooming matter,” he said.

“What’s important over and above what officers may look like is how they conduct themselves, but we shouldn’t underestimate the intangible things that have an effect on public perception.”