Golden Era Police

[Stearmen]

"Officials all over the country are finding that the methods of yesterday cannot cope with today's complex police problems. A few short years ago machine-gun bandits, kidnapers, youthful holdup men, racketeers and gangsters were scarcely heard of, but now they have become bywords in every community throughout the land.
The issue is the need for quick apprehension and swift justice for those individuals who have no respect for law, order, or the rights of others. To whip this group into line there is an effective solution - virile, young, officers mounted on fleet Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Nothing will strike more terror into the heart of a law violator than the scream of a police motorcycle siren. He realizes flight is futile for he knows too well that the motorcycle officer can flash through traffic or fly over the highway and quickly overtake him. And few lawbreakers will take a chance against motorcycle officers who are physically hardened and mentally quick and sharp from their service in the open air.
The public is demanding that the menace of the lawbreaking motorist and the criminal be broken. An adequate number of modern, Harley-Davidson police motorcycles is a vital part of the police equipment your department should have, to give your community the protection it demands and needs." (1934 Harley Police Brochure).
[video=youtube;i81lzERPC8I]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i81lzERPC8I[/video]

 

[Shangas]

When I was on holiday in England, I purchased a Metropolitan police-whistle at the Sherlock Holmes Museum as a souvenir:



I know they're really famous for being used in London, but outside of the UK and the British Empire, were they used anywhere else?

Met whistles were popular because of their distinctive sound and impressive range (which I believe is over a mile on a good day, although I've never dared to test that!). Policemen carried them, army officers in the field carried them, ARP wardens carried them during the War. I THINK it was illegal for private citizens to own them (to prevent misuse by criminals), although this only became a law later, and for a while, it was legal for ordinary men and women to purchase them for their own self-protection.

Were they ever used in the United States in any capacity? Or did American police carry something else?

--- --- --- ---

It's just occurred to me - This forum is so old...is this the FIRST thread on vintage policing to appear on the Lounge? I certainly have never noticed any others. And the history of crime and crimefighting has always fascinated me.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Mailmen used to carry whistles like that -- they'd toot them when they left mail at an RFD box to alert the householder that there was mail to collect.

American police whistles are more the type with a pea in them.

 

[Shangas]

The met-whistle lasted nearly 100 years. Police had used a hodgepodge of different whistles before then, as well as hand-rattles, but the official and original metropolitan whistle came out in 1883. It lastsed until ca. 1975, when it was replaced by handheld radios.

Supposedly, British police still carry these whistles for certain duties (traffic-direction, etc), but from what I've gathered, they died out decades ago. If the police carry them at all, it's mostly for ceremonial purposes. Perhaps some of our British members can shed light on this discrepancy.

There's also the famous Hiatt-Darby handcuffs...

From what I recall from a museum-tour I did once, these were nonadjustable (or at least, certain variations were not) and they were supposed to be a 'one-size-fits-all' affair. As a result, they were hideously uncomfortable. Ratcheted, adjustable handcuffs not having been invented/not widespread at the time.

 

[Methuselah]

The English police whistle looks the same as the type used by the military - most well known for their role in the first world war, sending troops "over the top" from the trenches.

I've got one, although it's much later; used by my grandfather during the second world war when he was a military police officer in Egypt.

The American model looks similar to the Acme Thunderer, a.k.a. a football referee's whistle.

 

[Shangas]

The English police whistle looks the same as the type used by the military - most well known for their role in the first world war, sending troops "over the top" from the trenches.

I've got one, although it's much later; used by my grandfather during the second world war when he was a military police officer in Egypt.

The American model looks similar to the Acme Thunderer, a.k.a. a football referee's whistle.

It IS the same whistle. It would just have different markings on the barrel. For example, I saw one with the initials "ARP" on it, for Air-Raid Precautions, at a flea-market.

 

[Stearmen]

I have seen Bobby whistles on the collar clasp of A2 jackets, and the A2 I received from an 8th Air Force bombarder had one. I have two of my mothers ACME Thunderers from when she was a teacher, she said she never liked to use them, she always had good discipline in her classes. I also have the hand heald brass bell from the one room school house she taught in at the end of the war. Talk about loud!

 

[gman41]

I am a police officer in New Jersey in my 25th year of service. I can recall back to the early 90's of NYPD officers still wearing the double breasted wool short over coat. Most likely passed down from parents or past members. I have not seen one in years.

You can still get wool handmade uniforms from a supplier called Reds here in New Jersey which I have in my inventory. I think people miss the fact that they no longer feel the wind trhough their clothing. With the wool ones you feel the breeze which is great for the summer. try and tell young people wool is cooler....how could that be they say...

 

[Shangas]

You mean something like this? (Bottom left):

 

[penates]

For officer safety, the Sam Browne belt should be worn over a long coat.

 

[rjb1]

"For officer safety, the Sam Browne belt should be worn over a long coat."
Can you expand on that? I don't follow...

 

[Shangas]

This is a Sam Browne belt:

...and this is what it looks like when it's worn:

The shoulder/chest-strap takes the weight of the handcuffs, gun, ammo, nightstick, etc.

London bobbies never carried so much...

Typically it was handcuffs, truncheon, notebook, pencil, keys, a torch or a bullseye lamp (for night-beats). The metro. whistle was clipped to the tunic on a chain and stored in the breast-pocket like you see there.

There's the whistle with the traditional chain and hook, which went through a buttonhole on the tunic.

 

[penates]

"For officer safety, the Sam Browne belt should be worn over a long coat."
Can you expand on that? I don't follow...

You can see where the buttoned coat is covering his pistol, radio, handcuffs etc. In any kind of emergency he would have to either unbutton the coat or try to pull the hem up in order to access any of the emergency equipment.

 

[rjb1]

It wasn't that I didn't know what a Sam Browne belt was - I have a couple of those myself (US military issue), I just didn't follow the phrasing. Read one way, it would seem that wearing a Sam Browne with a short coat would be unsafe: "For officer safety, the Sam Browne belt should be worn over a long coat."
Having trouble getting to the police gear under a long coat is the real issue...

 

[Rathdown]

I may be in error, but I am given to understand that when the long coat is worn by NYPD officers their duty side arm is carried in a pocket holster to facilitate ease of access.

 

[penates]

I have heard that as well, but the picture clearly shows where the coat is bunched up at the hips.

 

[Shangas]

It doesn't look very comfortable, I admit. The coat, that is, with the belt underneath it like that. I was trying to find a decent picture of a policeman's double-breasted overcoat, and that was the best shot I could find.

Here's a much better picture of policemen in winter uniform:

 

[Corky]

The Sam Browne belt with shoulder strap was common at one time but it has gone out of fashion with police types because the shoulder strap was seen as a liability in hand-to hand confrontations. The Sam Browne belt is largely obsolete in police and security use due to risk of strangulation by potential opponents. It has sometimes been referred to as a Suicide Belt by personnel.

 

[Boyo]

In my experience, the NYPD wears the wool coat for ceremonial duty only ( street fairs, parades, etc..) and a full duty belt is not usually worn ( sidearm in a hip holster, handcuffs in pocket ), although the coat has a flap on either side to allow access to equipment. The highway and mounted patrol wear a 3/4 leather jacket with the duty belt worn over the top. Vehicle and foot Patrol officers wear a nylon waist length jacket with duty belt accessible.

In the golden era, the knee length coat in the above photo was called a "choker" in reference to the tight neck. Most guys didn't even wear a uniform shirt under it, either a thick flannel or sweater.

 

[Shangas]

Not quite Golden Era, but I stumbled across this very interesting video on YouTube about a policeman who does regular patrols in a fully-restored 1970 police-car!

[video=youtube;TGpVVF1JLz8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGpVVF1JLz8[/video]