Police "Tie-Tacks"

[leigh kitchen]

I don't collect these, but about 20 years ago I got loads of different ones, mainly British, for my small son, mounted on a giant black police tie.

n the UK I think they started off with a small pin back "Rupert The Bear" charachter from childrens books, produced by the Royal Ulster Constabulary & sold to raise funds for widows & orphans.

From the original bare headed bear arose versions wearing "visors", British Police helmets etc, & the original long pin attachment developed into a butterfly pin fastening, which became the norm on such insignia.

There must be thousands of different tie-tacks produced for British police forces alone, being sold for charities & being traded between the sellers in the different forces in order to provide variety & increase sales in different police forces.

I only have a couple laying around the house, this one is a British one & what it's sold to support is shown on the badge - National Police Memorial Day, somethng that's only arisen in Britain in the past few years.

Edited May 14, 2009 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

This one was given to me by a policeman from Bangladesh with whom I worked some years ago. Again fairly self explanatory, but many are'nt, others give a clue in the design but not wording.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Leigh - there don't seem to be as many people collecting them, as there were a few years ago, but they are attractive and look good on boards. I think a Police Memorial Day is a great idea - every Country should have one - but, why in UK is it organised by that man Winner - who has no connection with Police in any way ??? You have to wonder why it was left to him - his idea of a memorial stone in the place where each member of police had been killed is a good one and long overdue - but, why a civilian and why - a film producer ?? (I'm being careful here, I don't want to be sued!)

[Tom King]

Michael Winner runs the Police Memorial Trust Charity which has placed a large memorial in the Mall and memorial stones near the sites where police Officers have been killed on duty.

The tie pin above is for the Police Memorial day which has no connection to Michael Winner. It was organized by Police in conjunction with the Police Federation and has HRH Prince of Wales as its Patron.

http://www.nationalpolicememorialday.org/

[coldstream]

Used to have a lot of these when I was still serving in Surrey Police but was never one to wear them on duty!

Here is one I found at the back of the odds and sods drawer!

Edmonton Police which I picked up when in Canada with the Army, butterfly clasp and maker marked 'AT'

[leigh kitchen]

Bar fight or a gift from a female officer? Or both?

I don't think I wore the things, but I certanly bought a lot for my sons giant police tie.

At one time we were banned from wearing them in uniform, I think that led to being banned from wearing more than one pin.

My comment to the supervisor responsible for the instruction when we were sortng a farewell gift was "For 2 pins we'd buy you a tie pin but then you would'nt let us wear a 2 pins anyway".

You had to be there really.

[coldstream]

Had to clean the rear of the nice Police Officers car after being, umm, well, sort of ill in the back when being taken back to barracks!!!!!!!!!

Must of been a good job though, no charges and a tie pin :cheers:

[leigh kitchen]

A few more pins that I found in a drawer - American ones, most in commemoration of 9-11 & brought back from a colleague attending commemorations a few years ago.Some still in their sealed bags - Looks like I should have scanned at a higher res.