Prison & Police Museum
Our object of the month for January is a female police officer’s cap, from York City Police, dating from about the 1960s.
The cap is made from black felt and white fabric, with a chequered band and a chrome cap badge, inscribed with ‘York City Police’ with the Queen’s Crown above. The cap has a black fabric chin strap.
This style of hat was standard issue for female police officers until 1985, when it was changed to a hard bowler style in navy blue felt.
Inside the cap, there is a leather rim, which has been inscribed with the name ‘B. Bradshaw’, which we assume was the owner of the cap. Unfortunately, we don’t know anything about Ms Bradshaw.
York City Police was formed in 1836 and continued as a force until 1968, when it was merged with the East Riding and North Riding of Yorkshire constabularies to form York and North East Yorkshire Police. In 1974, this became North Yorkshire Police.