Hats off to chief as traditional bobbies’ helmets go back on beat - The Yorkshire Post says
While police officers are having to adapt the modern world and the many and varied new forms of offences created by the internet age in the context of years of reduced Government funding affecting their ability to provide services, a little tradition may go a long way in helping to improve public confidence.
That is the theory at least in South Yorkshire, where Chief Constable Stephen Watson has ordered a return to Dixon of Dock Green style bobbies’ helmets. It means tall hats for male officers on walking duties, bowlers for their female colleagues and flat caps for those using vehicles. As Mr Watson puts it: “It is about resetting old-fashioned standards. I like police to look like police.”
A return to the familiar style of the past will undoubtedly be a sign of reassurance to communities of a commitment to traditional policing values - but it is now incumbent on the force to make sure change is more than just a symbol.