Officers ‘enormously enthusiastic’ as force announces return of traditional helmets
Thames Valley Police has confirmed it will bring back custodian helmets in the coming months after scrapping them almost a decade ago. Male officers at the force have not worn the traditional headgear since 2009, when they were replaced with uniform caps.
The custodian helmets will be worn primarily by neighbourhood officers and those patrolling the night-time economy, while response drivers will continue wearing caps. Police and crime commissioner (PCC) Anthony Stansfeld said the change of headwear gives officers on patrol more presence and “makes us visible”.
The move has been criticised by councillors and Thames Valley Police Federation, who would rather see the money spent on issues such as wellbeing and increasing officer numbers.
Following a suggestion to the police and crime panel around three years ago by Mr Stansfeld, Thames Valley Police carried out a trial in Reading, Berkshire, receiving positive results from the first day.
Despite some of the younger officers initially being wary about the helmets, the trial, which took place in autumn 2017, saw officers coming back after one day “enormously enthusiastic about them”.
“Nine years ago not many people wore hi-vis jackets,” Mr Stansfeld told Police Professional. “Now traffic wardens onwards wear hi-vis jackets and a flat hat, and we want our officers to look a bit different if they are on daytime patrol.
“One of the reasons we’ve taken reductions in policing is lack of visibility. Especially for daytime patrol in areas where police require a visible presence, the helmets do make a great deal of difference.
“I think it gives people much better pride in their jobs too.”
The initial cost of the custodian helmet roll out is expected to be less than £30,000, reducing dramatically year on year as only new officers will need to be supplied with them.
But Thames Valley Police Federation chair Craig O’Leary would rather see this spent on health and welfare provision for officers.
He said: “It’s worth remembering that you have to have officers out on the street on patrol in order to wear these helmets, and I think if you speak to most members of the public in Thames Valley, you would find it’s very rare that they see bobbies out on the beat, on foot, unless they’re in the town centre and doing that kind of patrol work.
“We have to ask, in the current climate, with money being so tight, is this the wisest use of Thames Valley budget?” Tom Hayes, Oxford City Council’s lead for community safety also disagreed with Mr Stansfeld’s idea, saying it is a “triumph of style over substance”.
“You don’t get visible policing by putting on helmets, you get it by putting more officers on the streets,” he added.
However, Mr Stansfeld believes it is well worth the money, adding that £30,000 would not go a long way in policing.
He continued: “You seriously have to belong to the Diane Abbott school of economics to think this is going to buy any more police officers.
“It’s peanuts in the big picture of policing, but it does have a very positive result.”
Chief Constable Francis Habgood said: “We have carried out a limited trial on the use of custodian helmets in Reading and the feedback from both officers and the public has been resoundingly in favour of bringing them back.
“This is something that the PCC has been very supportive of and I can confirm that I have approved the initial order for new helmets.”
