Good evening.
I am a serving MPS officer and also an ex-Guardsman with 23 years service with the colours.
I have seen first hand the differing levels of turnout over the last 40 years in both the army and police.
To address some of your comments.
Tunics - No longer personal issue in the vast majority of county forces. Officers from some forces were issued temporary tunics for the coronation, to be returned after use.
So you can imagine the level of fit/tailoring.
The MPS still issue tunics, but they are very rarely worn, with the exception of Passing Out parades, occasional Crown Court and promotion board interviews.
Medals - The military quite rightly place a great emphasis on medals, ribbons, mounting and when they are worn. Soldiers, sailors and airmen all take pride in them.
Within the MPS, there is absolutely no emphasis placed on medals, which are only worn on tunics.
So if you don't even possess a tunic??
Some officers wear their entitlement and some don't. Some are swing mounted and some are court mounted. Some are even loose, side by side!
I know officers who have four medals, all of which are still in their boxes, tucked away in a draw at home.
Nothing is likely to be said to an officer who chooses not to wear their medals.
It's a personal choice.
A lot of police officers view jubilee and coronation medals and even the LSGC as meaningless.
This is evidenced by the ones being sold online.
I recently messaged a seller on eBay who was selling a police LSGC and two jubilee medals, asking who had they been issued to. I was shocked when the seller replied that following retirement he was selling off his own medals!
Cap Badges - No direction has yet been given, but I anticipate that within the MPS new hats/helmets and their associated badges will simply be issued over time as old ER stock runs out. Any other way would be very expensive and wasteful.
There is always the chance that new badges will be issued for beat duty helmets, as officers tend to retain their helmets for a number of years.
We will have to wait and see.
Turnout - Within the MPS we still take steps to ensure that our officers look the part, and the vast majority do. There will always be officers who struggle to meet those standards, just as there were in the Guards.
Within the military you had to produce the worn out item of clothing to obtain a nice new replacement.
Within the MPS officers simply request new shirts, trousers, hats etc (within reason) and the new items are delivered within days, with no requirement to hand in the old/worn item.
And it is certainly not viewed as bullying to address poor turnout , which we do on a regular basis.
Beards, overt tattoos and 'man buns' are all accepted today, across the whole police service.
I hope that this enlightens you all as to the workings within the modern day Police and I would be happy to answer any other questions.
Danny
Irish Guards
Metropolitan Police