Met chief attacks rise of the police in black shirts

Big Don

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Met chief attacks rise of the police in black shirts



By Stephen Wright Daily Mail EXCERPT:
Last updated at 1:33 PM on 8th January 2011


Britain's most senior policeman has launched a stinging attack on the ‘paramilitary style’ uniforms being worn by many forces.

Sir Paul Stephenson, Commissioner of the Met, spoke out against the all-black kit favoured by an increasing number of constabularies.

As Scotland Yard prepares to police the Olympics next year, Sir Paul said he wanted his officers to look like ‘traditional British bobbies’ – complete with white shirts.

He has no plans to introduce the so-called ‘boys in black’ uniforms being worn in forces such as North Wales, Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Hampshire and Thames Valley.

Critics have likened them to the black uniforms worn by followers of fascist Sir Oswald Mosley in the 1930s, who were known as the Blackshirts.

Sir Paul, renowned for his traditional views on policing, stopped short of making that comparison. But he made it clear he believes black uniforms send out the wrong message.

He said: ‘I’m not awfully keen on ever-more paramilitary-type equipment on our streets. On occasions, we look paramilitary enough now. Frankly, that worries me.

‘I want to continue to look like the British police officer whenever we can.

‘It’s one of the reasons why I’m very passionate about continuing to make sure Met police officers look like Met police officers in white shirts, and not awfully keen on the move in other areas of the country towards different sorts of uniform that look more paramilitary.’

In an interview with LBC Radio’s Nick Ferrari, Sir Paul went on: ‘I want cops in London to be reassuring, not oppressive.’
END EXCERPT
You know what? Functional beats stylish everyday of the week and twice on Sundays, that said, from the pictures in the article, a black polo shirt, does not threaten me at all...
 

granfire

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Waiting for Tez on this one.


But it seems the police forces around the world have a secret desire to put on black fatigues...
 

Tez3

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Ask whoever does the police officers washing! Seriously, it's a matter of wearing whats easiest to keep clean and tidy. On any given shift you can end up covered in anything from mud to blood, wearing washable trousers as opposed to dy clean only, wearing dark polo shirts instead of white/blue shirts looks so much easier. Dark colours are more 'authoritarian' but they also hide the stains gathered in a days work, you can't be going back to the station every hour or so to get changed.

Tourists in London still approach the police with questions on everything under the sun so I don't think they can be that scary. :)
 
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Ask whoever does the police officers washing! Seriously, it's a matter of wearing whats easiest to keep clean and tidy. On any given shift you can end up covered in anything from mud to blood, wearing washable trousers as opposed to dy clean only, wearing dark polo shirts instead of white/blue shirts looks so much easier. Dark colours are more 'authoritarian' but they also hide the stains gathered in a days work, you can't be going back to the station every hour or so to get changed.
I kind of thought so...
Tourists in London still approach the police with questions on everything under the sun so I don't think they can be that scary. :)
Oh, I bet you have been asked some really stupid questions. Please, feel free to share.
 

granfire

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Yep.
1 why can't they be stylish?
2 who cares what they wear as long as they get the job done?


lol, black fatigues are hardly stylish, but maybe they fulfill the inner Rambo fantasy

But thinking about Tez's laundry remark (yes, some questions are that simple to answer, Tide does not get everything out) I also realized that in the US there isn't one department that has a white uniform shirt, unless it's the dress uniform.

I guess the Sheriff Tan is the lightest you get...
 

Tez3

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As any police officer anywhere will tell you the public want you to chase down the bad guys, help their granny across the road, be nice to children and to rescue them from water, hills, cars and any other mess the public get themselves in to but they are supposed to stay super smart, not swear and never be human all at the same time for not a lot of money.
The trousers are less fatigues more just black cotton trousers, not quite so military looking.

I've never worked in London I'm afraid. There are two police forces in London, the Met and the City of London police who look after the Square Mile. Each force here has it's own Chief Constable, this Commissioner only looks after the Met so doesn't get a say anywhere other than the Met. There's always been more politics with this post than any other.

The shirts may be black but they are polo shirts, covered with their anti stab and hi viz vests, anything less like 'the' blackshirts I can't imagine tbh.
 

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As any police officer anywhere will tell you the public want you to chase down the bad guys, help their granny across the road, be nice to children and to rescue them from water, hills, cars and any other mess the public get themselves in to but they are supposed to stay super smart, not swear and never be human all at the same time for not a lot of money.
The trousers are less fatigues more just black cotton trousers, not quite so military looking.

I've never worked in London I'm afraid. There are two police forces in London, the Met and the City of London police who look after the Square Mile. Each force here has it's own Chief Constable, this Commissioner only looks after the Met so doesn't get a say anywhere other than the Met. There's always been more politics with this post than any other.

The shirts may be black but they are polo shirts, covered with their anti stab and hi viz vests, anything less like 'the' blackshirts I can't imagine tbh.
You forgot look the other way when THEY do something wrong, but be merciless to all those other "real bad guys"...

Our uniforms in my agency are navy blue; it's pretty traditional for policing in the US.
 

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"Scotland Yard" is a colloquial term for the Metropolitan Police, Cryo. The name comes from the street that ran past the rear of the building that housed it's headquaters.
 

Carol

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Is there a dark color that wouldn't get the chief in a huff? I wager that if they went with eggplant, most of the men and perhaps some of the women would quit. ;) Forest Green can look far more military-esque than black. Blue, the criticism would be "too American", or if they went with brown, that would invoke Godwin's Law, if ya know what I mean. :eek: That leaves, well, black...or dark grey, which is basically black that's been laundered a few times :D
 
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Big Don

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"Scotland Yard" is a colloquial term for the Metropolitan Police, Cryo. The name comes from the street that ran past the rear of the building that housed it's headquaters.
I never knew the origin of that. Thanks, Suke!
 

ballen0351

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lol, black fatigues are hardly stylish, but maybe they fulfill the inner Rambo fantasy

But thinking about Tez's laundry remark (yes, some questions are that simple to answer, Tide does not get everything out) I also realized that in the US there isn't one department that has a white uniform shirt, unless it's the dress uniform.

I guess the Sheriff Tan is the lightest you get...

alot of beach towns police wear white shirts. My wife worked for a sheriff dept that wore white shirts and baby blue pants. An hour into her shift she would look so dirty. And shirts had to be replaced every few months. We wear LAPD blue and I have shirts that are a few years old. Little faded but still good enough for night shift
 
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Big Don

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Baby Blue pants? On the men too?
Only one word for that: Fabulous.
 

granfire

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Baby Blue pants? On the men too?
Only one word for that: Fabulous.


:lfao:


Considering that sky blue was once considered the color of the Gods and as such picked to protect infant boys....can't be all bad....
 

Carol

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I dunno...light blue works for Dmitry Salita. ;)


salita_01.jpg


He keeps Kosher, won't fight on the Sabbath or on Jewish Holidays....and has a mean right hook!
 

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