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Golden Era Police

MelancholicNostalgic

New in Town
Messages
49
Location
Somewhere in Time
Plainclothes Detectives

Here's a real good photo of the Burbank, California police detectives, circa early 1950's:

police_detectives_front.jpg
 
Messages
11,381
Location
Alabama
FF, your point about trying to be different reminded me of a time early in my career. In a patrol briefing one afternoon, prior to my shift, I looked around the room and every man (15-20), including myself, had a moustache. Later that night, after my shift was over I went home and shaved it off.

I agree about the detective needing to visit his tailor.
 

MelancholicNostalgic

New in Town
Messages
49
Location
Somewhere in Time
It seems a bit strange to me that all but one of them are wearing DB suits though. I understand that it was a popular look of the era, but in terms of things like drawing a gun, a DB suit seems like a cumbersome choice.
 
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newsman

One of the Regulars
Messages
183
Location
Florida
^The Hat Squad. What's up with the guy front row, middle?
All DB suits but one. Interesting photo.

Didn't notice that guy in the front row...but did notice everyone is packing on their right side. You can see how the clothes kinda bunch up on that side and everyone has a lump about hip level. My bet is that's where their pistols are. At least, that's my experience, in such matters.

I know at least three departments that still issue Acme Thunderers as a patrol item. They are very good for traffic direction and crowd control.
 

Guttersnipe

One Too Many
Messages
1,942
Location
San Francisco, CA
It seems a bit strange to me that all but one of them are wearing DB suits though. I understand that it was a popular look of the era, but in terms of things like drawing a gun, a DB suit seems like a cumbersome choice.

The same is true for all styles of suit jackets, really. Ever notice on Dragnet how Friday, Smith and Gannon always unbutton their coats as they approach a car, house, suspect, etc.? This was standard procedure in the days when plainclothesmen wore suits.

In many detective novels from the 1930s, 40s and 50s, a victim having a buttoned coat is a clue that they (a) were ambushed or otherwise caught unaware or (b) knew and trusted their killer.
 

skydog757

A-List Customer
Messages
465
Location
Thumb Area, Michigan
All of the detectives in the photo have their lowest jacket button unfastened (except for the man on the far left, which may be why his suit looks the most rumpled) which would give them somewhat faster access to their gats.
 

newsman

One of the Regulars
Messages
183
Location
Florida
All of the detectives in the photo have their lowest jacket button unfastened (except for the man on the far left, which may be why his suit looks the most rumpled) which would give them somewhat faster access to their gats.

Yeah back in the day they used to do this and teach the detectives to "sway" to one side with the draw. Sometimes they would even put a small weight in the jacket to encourage the swing out of the jacket to make the draw more efficient.

I wish I could find a copy of the photograph of Bill Jordan (famous Border Patrol Officer) doing this. There is a photograph in his book, "No second place winner."
 

Wells

Familiar Face
Messages
72
Location
Canada
And there's always these chaps.
One thing I love about the RCMP is that the dress uniforms have hardly changed since the Golden Era.
 

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