MovieChat Forums > Dixon of Dock Green (1955) Discussion > Missing Helmet

Missing Helmet

posted 19 years ago by malcolm_james
3 replies | jump to latest

What happened to the smart police costable of Dixon of Dock Green?
Today they never wear their helmets or any headgear at all. They consentrate on looking macho so much and so scruffy that they are not recognised by the public anymore. The senior constables do nothing to improve the lack of discipline that used to be there.
Jack Warner was a good actor who played the part as if he had been a constable in real life. Todays many many cop shows show more problems amongst the untidy young constables thats out there on the streets. Dixon of Dock Green will be remembered by me as excellent.

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] rem483-1 18 years ago

Having left the Constabulary in 1998, I can say that, yes, some of the younger guys prefer to wear the flat hat than the helmet but that's just youngsters for you. When involved in any chases, or fights, of course you had no headgear ("sorry skipper, it must've fallen off"), but when on bike/foot patrol or out of the car it was required and usually all complied. Every few years there is a poll to see whether to do away with helmets or not and every time the answer is 'no'. As for public recognition, you no longer need the helmet...so many forces have taken to requiring those God awful yellow vests!

[–] hugh1971 16 years ago

I completely agree Mr James and I'd go further to say the police may even have lost a certain respect from the public when they 'went casual'. I recall that up until the early nineties or so, nearly all policemen were smartly turned out: they wore helmets (or a flat cap when driving); a shirt and tie, and a proper tunic, and a coat and gloves in the winter.

Nowadays they rarely wear ties (some even wear polo shirts with name of the constabulary embroidered like some sort of logo), wear shirtsleeves in the middle of winter, seem to be hatless all the time, wear a utility belt loaded with batons, pepper sprays etc and to top it all wear those godawful luminous vests. The overall effect is of a supermarket security guard trying to look like Batman!