I don't think it matters. As soon as I see the badge I recognize the authority figure.
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I don't think it matters. As soon as I see the badge I recognize the authority figure.
I wear a stocking cap in the winter, but I have to put it on when I get out of the car, because the roof is too low! I also have a ball cap for the summer. No fancy hats like Motorway's!
http://www.csmonitor.com/var/ezflow_...2_full_600.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by keith720
:yo: :p
We don't have to wear hats at all, although our standard duty hat is a ball cap with our last name on the back and our county's badge embroidered on the front. We do have trooper hats for when we're in Class A's, but I've only ever worn it to academy graduations for our new recruits and funerals. Sometimes I'll wear it in to court, but of course the hat comes off there anyway.
Just go ahead and join "The Big-Man Haters Club.":mad:;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Jenna
I hate hats with a passion. We only wear them for funerals. It's an 8 point style. I can't comfortable wear a ball cap, my dern head is too big.
When we were wearing the 8 point hats our Chief called an officer in for counciling as he was not wearing his hat when a newsman caught him Running under Helicopter blades for a emergency blood run and yes they were under power. DUUHH
I forgot that I also have the option of the stylish winter hat with fur earflaps. I look like a Russian border guard when I wear that one!
Pudge,
now, ties are one things they don't care about. I will admit that it does look a lot more professional. I just feel like I'm being choked when I wear it. I hated wearing one as a det.
Do you go around speaking Russian while wearing it? :)Quote:
Originally Posted by keith720
Nyet.Quote:
Originally Posted by McCrackhd
Old department: Lord help you if you were caught by a supervisor without a hat on anything but the most dangerous calls.
Current department: hats are strictly optional except for formal occaisions. Mine isn't even at the station, it's in my closet at home.
I remember many moons ago, before I actually got on the department, officers were issued garrison caps & required to wear them anytime they were out of the car.
Now, we have the option of buying a ballcap with a specific logo & can wear them if we want. I purchased my own garrison cap/badge for wear with my class A uniform.
I wear a hat or cap all the time, on/off duty.
When they first talked about doing away with headgear I talked to the Chief. I explained that, for me, it is a bit of an officer safety issue. I am photosensitive (light bothers me) and a hat/cap helps shade my eyes. And since I wear glasses (can't wear contacts) the bill also helps to keep rain off my lenses so I can see. I also explained that we are still somewhat of a rural (redneck) community and that ballcaps would be accepted by the community without damaging command presence.
When I worked investigations, they made me stop wearing my western hat. The reason given was; it made me look like a Texas Ranger.
We have 8 point hats that we wear to funerals. Back when i was a deputy, our uniform included the trooper/DI style hats. Then a new sheriff was elected and those were replaced with cowboy hats.
I am of the opinion that all styles of uniform hat, without exception, look fucking stupid. Zero intimidation factor, nothing badass about them. The best look you can hope for with a uniform hat is to successfully pull off the "stick up your ass" look.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Broke Hoss
I am so jealous, I dreamed of wearing a cowboy hat and looking like a texas ranger. Failing that, one of those mountie hats. Class.
In fact if anyone wants to swap a Met Police helmet for a Mountie hat, let me know.
I told em I could think of worse things to be called. And I went ahead & wore it when I was working a case with one of the Rangers.Quote:
I am so jealous, I dreamed of wearing a cowboy hat and looking like a texas ranger. Failing that, one of those mountie hats. Class
We have an 8-point hat, required by the Chief to wear it when in uniform. "Breeze"-style mesh cap in the summertime, keeps the sweat off my face when I'm outside for a long time.
The bosses used to be very hot on wearing hats.
It's still a given that you must wear the traditional helmet if on foot patrol(something I've not done for over 19 yrs,except in Washington!)
It used to be if on mobile patrol you were in trouble if seen out of the car without a helmet or flat cap on.
However since working the motorway we have been speciffically told not to wear the traditional white topped patrol cap. With the draughting effect of passing vehicles the hats were prone to being blown off and the natural instinct was to grab for it, with obvious risk when you have fast moving traffic a couple of feet away.
however I do now have the choice of some very fetching day glow yellow baseball cap or woolen beanie hat for winter. Plus if worst comes to the worse a kevlar composite hard hat with visor(very good in heavy rain)
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...9e8EtIcGsi46EQ http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...ZHaXw16-OTS77p http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...TpErTrzj6JERjg http://www.niton999.co.uk/account.im...nails/1335.jpg
Or the hat when in a hurry
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...MKFXa6dcdI7nCg
Motor, your hat attracted more attention that a crack-dealing porn star at Charlie Sheen's house when we were in D.C.!
I'm in an interesting place. We have a written policy. It says:
- Officers don't need to wear a hat except in special events requiring a dress uniform.
- Officers can wear an approved ball cap style hat.
- Officers can wear a "Russian style' winter hat in that season.
- We can wear a knit cap.
- The official dress hat is a brimmed "saucer style" hat.
But about four or five years back, the Chief decided to make the dress hat Stetsons. He never changed the written policy though. Now the Chief thinks we should wear hats all of the time and the hat we should be wearing is the Stetson.
So... is it the written policy or the Stetson? It makes little difference to me as about two years ago, the winter Stetson, which is the wool felt type, got soaked and then dried out all misshapened. It looks like a boonie hat now. :D
Then last summer, I knocked the summer straw Stetson off getting out of the car last year on a traffic stop and it fell in the road. Don't you know that at least three cars ran that sucker over. I swear I didn't Frisbee that thing out the door into the road even though there are some that say I did. :o
So I put in a chit to get new ones and haven't gotten a uniform req to get them. So all I have are the ball cap and the winter hat. But, I'm on mids and in charge so we wear what we need to and my guys are happy. No frostbite- no authority figure problems- people see us as cops.
But my wife says the Stetson makes me look more manly and bigger. Maybe when I get the new ones, I'll keep one at home. ;)