PART 2 - POLICE FORCES OF THE WORLD

[Mervyn Mitton]

This second example cap is fairly straight forward for identification - Tacoma in the US. However, please see intro. for other details which will be helpful.

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

Another version of a US Police cap. This one is a summer issue - thinner in the material and with good ventilation. The badge is for a small town outside of New York - the name escapes me, perhaps someone will recognise it. I exchanged my second helmet with a Sgt. from the Force who was visiting our Station. He was desperate for a British Helmet and I was the only one who would oblige..... I have always understood that a Sgt. in America stands at a higher level then a British Sgt. - has duties more like our Inspectors' ?

[Mervyn Mitton]

The badge shows the possible Dutch background of the Town - looks like the Lion from the coat-of-arms ?

[Mike Dwyer]

Mervyn,

That's not actually from a small town, it's the badge of the Nassau County Police Department in the State of New York. It's on Long Island and is a suburb of New York City. It has a population of over 1.3 million people. In 2004 the police department employed over 2,500 police officers.

[Les-Art]

Hi Mervyn,

I agree with Mike that the second cap is from the NASSAU COUNTY POLICE, New York. Rank of Sergeant.

These lighter material caps ,I beleive ,were originally made in the 1960's probably lasted until the 1980's, but now the caps are made of the heavier material . Nassau County followed simimar uniform regulations as the New York City Police and I got one from them in 1975 of the summer weight and checked the stores in 1992 and they only issued one type then, so they got discontinued at some point.

The first cap for TACOMA POLICE washington, I don't believe is correct. The cap is of a type used mainly in New Jersey and the East Coast of America with the double straps, one strap staying at the front and the other going across the crown to 'crush' the material and make it less inclined to get blown off while on a motorcycle, which was the tradional use for them . Although having said that the double straps tend to be put on round top caps and not the cornered variety. So this could mean that the straps have been added to the cap wrongly, and the badge belongs to the cap OR the straps and the cap badge have been added to a cap which neither belongs to. Collecting is a minefield of problems!!!

Are cap strap buttons the standard gothic 'P' surrounded by leaves or do they have something related to TACOMA ?

Best Regards,

Les