'Polite' range

N

not_with_it

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 April 2002
Messages
4,019
Location
Yorkshire
Visit site
A warning to you all.

I have it under good authority that the company that makes the 'polite' range have been asked to change the design as people wearing the range are leaving themselves open to contravening section 90 of the police act 1998.
This basically means that the range of clothing is intended for people to believe that people wearing the clothing are something which they are not. i.e. police.

Just a heads up, would hate for an innocent person to get caught out.
 
Love to see this tested in court , keep on wearing guys .
Polite police different words DUH,
Hope the company has the balls to stand up for its self.
 
Is this a recent thing?

I understood that the 'link' to the police was challenged, because apparently, the range was being advertised as recommended by the police.
 
Why would they have a problem with it after all this time? I know they had to change wording of ads but other than that I don't see what the problem is. When I go out hacking I don't pretend to be mounted police, I just want to be seen and if drivers think it could be the police so slow down - great :)
 
90 Impersonation, etc.E+W.(1)Any person who with intent to deceive impersonates a member of a police force or special constable, or makes any statement or does any act calculated falsely to suggest that he is such a member or constable, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or to both. .
(2)Any person who, not being a constable, wears any article of police uniform in circumstances where it gives him an appearance so nearly resembling that of a member of a police force as to be calculated to deceive shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale. .
(3)Any person who, not being a member of a police force or special constable, has in his possession any article of police uniform shall, unless he proves that he obtained possession of that article lawfully and has possession of it for a lawful purpose, be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale. .
(4)In this section— .
(a)“article of police uniform” means any article of uniform or any distinctive badge or mark or document of identification usually issued to members of police forces or special constables, or anything having the appearance of such an article, badge, mark or document,

This isnt my decision so please dont jump on me. Just thought you would all like to know.
 
Janette said:
Is this a recent thing?

I understood that the 'link' to the police was challenged, because apparently, the range was being advertised as recommended by the police.
Click to expand...

I wish I had a copy but it basically said that the designs used and the colours of the lettering were too similar to the police uniform and therefore would contravene section 90 of the police act.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
AS I said I would love to see this tested in court ,and love to see CPS show where the public interest was in prosecuting it.
 
So people can't dress as cops to fancy dress parties in that case?
We aren't pretending to be one. We're not attempting to arrest people. We just bare a passing resemblance to the police.
I think your 'good authority' is chatting BS
 
Janette said:
Is this a recent thing?

I understood that the 'link' to the police was challenged, because apparently, the range was being advertised as recommended by the police.
Click to expand...

Yes, I saw that they made them change the advertising. The police said they had not recommended it; they had a quote where the police did not object to the wording and approved it in terms of not contravening the law nat1003 quoted but this was not the same actively endorsing it so they had to change the advertising.
 
nat1003 said:
90 Impersonation, etc.E+W.(1)Any person who with intent to deceive impersonates a member of a police force or special constable, or makes any statement or does any act calculated falsely to suggest that he is such a member or constable, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or to both. .
(2)Any person who, not being a constable, wears any article of police uniform in circumstances where it gives him an appearance so nearly resembling that of a member of a police force as to be calculated to deceive shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale. .
(3)Any person who, not being a member of a police force or special constable, has in his possession any article of police uniform shall, unless he proves that he obtained possession of that article lawfully and has possession of it for a lawful purpose, be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale. .
(4)In this section— .
(a)“article of police uniform” means any article of uniform or any distinctive badge or mark or document of identification usually issued to members of police forces or special constables, or anything having the appearance of such an article, badge, mark or document,

This isnt my decision so please dont jump on me. Just thought you would all like to know.
Click to expand...

I don't think any of the responses are aimed at you, just a response to the suggestion that the police are going to go to the time and trouble of stopping this range :confused:

IMO I'd much rather they spent their time and effort on chasing criminals :rolleyes:
 
http://www.ebmonthly.co.uk/155.html

http://www.highvisibility.uk.com/_b..._News_for_sponsoring_Norfolk_Police_Specials/

And taken from http://www.equestriantradenews.com/archives/archive_04-12.html

POLITE SPONSORSHIP FOR MOUNTED OFFICERS

13th March, 2012.

Norfolk Constabulary officers who undertake horseback patrols are being sponsored with the POLITE high visibility range by manufacturer Equisafety.

“I was thrilled when I was contacted by World Horse Welfare’s field officer and former PC Jacko Jackson who told me about this exciting initiative,” said Nicola Fletcher, managing director of Equisafety, “I was pleased to offer sponsorship, in the form of clothing, to the riders.”

The items have been re-branded to include the Norfolk Constabulary badge and the word ‘police’.

The officers are the police’s ‘eyes & ears’ in the countryside. They help tackle crime but are not used to police riots, control public order and large-scale demonstrations.
Click to expand...
 
nat1003 said:
A warning to you all.

I have it under good authority that the company that makes the 'polite' range have been asked to change the design as people wearing the range are leaving themselves open to contravening section 90 of the police act 1998.
This basically means that the range of clothing is intended for people to believe that people wearing the clothing are something which they are not. i.e. police.

Just a heads up, would hate for an innocent person to get caught out.
Click to expand...

Havent they just been asked to change the wording of an advert, not changing the actual range?
 
Isn't the point of the polite range to make people look like the police to drivers? ie, to impersonate the police? I've always been amazed that the cops were ever OK with it tbh, but I suppose strippers are allowed to dress up like cops as long as they don't go around trying to arrest people, lol.
 
On a similar note ive seen security companies with their vehicles marked up like police cars but without the word police or blue lights. Ive never heard the police say anything neg about them but then ive never outright asked them what they thought of it or where they stand.
 
Does nobody remember the thing on Watchdog a while back about this??

They said the products were endorsed by the police - they are not.
They also don't fully meet the BSN safety for fluorescent and high visibility regs IIRC.

There was also a post on here a while back about how somebody was asked to remove their waistcoat by a couple of police officers, as it was though by member of the public they were interpreting a police officer, which is an offence.
 
RiderLizzie said:
Does nobody remember the thing on Watchdog a while back about this??

They said the products were endorsed by the police - they are not.
They also don't fully meet the BSN safety for fluorescent and high visibility regs IIRC.
Click to expand...

I saw the one on Fake Britain. Basically the material they used did meet the standards but the individual designs of each item had not been submitted for approval. Potentially the writing and other designs could end up obscuring the high viz material.


I think that piece would have had more impact if the case had not been brought forward by someone who represents a rival manufacturer of hi viz but call me cynical.
 
One of my horsey friends is a police detective and he has told me before that the Police do not like this range of clothing as they believe that it is impersonating an officer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top