Personal radio systems were first issued to police officers and installed in police cars in the 1960s (resulting in the demise of the " police box" telephones made famous by Doctor Who). In 2004, British police forces began change radios from analogue, to digital TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio) system for communications, called Airwave.

Aerosol incapacitants are classified as prohibited weapons by virtue of Section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968 and possession of such sprays is therefore illegal by the general public. They may only be possessed with the authority of the Defence Council or the Scottish Ministers. [31] Police officers, as Crown servants, are exempt from the requirements of the legislation and can have lawful possession of an incapacitant spray whilst acting in their capacity as a constable or where necessary for the purposes of their duty. [29] Batons [ edit ] Thanks to Stuart Bates for his patience in reading and commenting on several iterations of this article. Also to Peter Suciu and Brian Wolfe for comments and encouragement.The New Zealand Police retained a white version of the custodian helmet until the 1990s. The same helmet was used by the Samoa police, who still make limited use of it. The Toronto Police Service discontinued regular use of the helmet in 1945 in favour of a forage cap [37] but retains the white helmet for use by the Toronto Police Chief's Ceremonial Unit. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary currently uses the helmet for some officers (usually senior) and for special events. Although it’s known by some as a ‘Bobby’s Helmet’ or commonly as a police hat, it does in fact have its own special name. It’s called a ‘custodian helmet’.

The British Transport Police have armed officers who have been specially trained in firearms operations, and were first deployed in early 2012. These officers are mainly stationed in London, and their primary focus is on the busiest stations. When they need to deploy officers outside London, they work closely with local police forces. Police on bikes, from LS8". Daveches.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 December 2008 . Retrieved 8 May 2009.I am intrigued to learn that the 1863 pattern was called the ‘Custodian’. I have believed for some time that ‘Custodian’ is a Christy’s Trade Mark model name from around the early 1980s (maybe a bit earlier), that became the pretty much universal police ‘insider’ term for the helmets over the last 40 years just because it was by far the most common type. Therefore not really applicable to nineteenth-century helmets, and certainly not for similar helmets used in other countries. I have done quite a bit of original research in this area, and I have never seen the name Custodian appear in nineteenth or early twentieth century sources. However, I may be wrong! If there is some evidence that it was the official (or unofficial) term for the British police helmets earlier than the 1970s this I’d genuinely love to know about it. to neighbours or to facilitate working in groups away from the direction of the control room. Interoperability with other emergency services was also poor, and was criticised in reports after the Hillsborough and Kings Cross disasters. Most forces’ equipment could not transfer data or text messages – a growing operational requirement. Few had any form of encryption and were susceptible to monitoring by anyone prepared to buy cheap scanning equipment. In addition, almost every force had areas in which the police and other emergency services operated without effective radio coverage. [25] Criminal Justice Act 1988 (c. 33) - Statute Law Database". Statutelaw.gov.uk . Retrieved 8 May 2009.