Insignia
The Chevron
‘Chevron’ is an architectural term denoting the rafters of a roof meeting an angle at the upper apex. The chevron in heraldry was employed as a badge of honor to mark the main supporters of the head of the clan or "top of the house" and it came to be used in various forms as an emblem of rank for knights and men-at-arms in feudal days. One legend is that the chevron was awarded to a knight to show he had taken part in capturing a castle, town, or other building, of which the chevron resembled the roofs. It is believed from this resulted its use as an insignia of grade by the military.
Chevrons have their origins in heraldry, however the method of denoting sub-officers rank is borrowed from the military, which first adopted it in the present form in 1813. The first police force to use this method of indicating rank was the Royal Irish Constabulary.
St Edwards Crown
Also known as the Queens Crown, this is the most important item of Royal Regalia and has been the ‘official’ crown used on police, government and service insignia since her majesty, QEII, ascended the throne in 1952.
Bath Star
The Bath Star (pip) is an adaptation of the insignia worn by a Knight Commander of the Military Division of the Order of Bath. It is the highest order of British Knighthood dating back to 1603.
The Bath Star is composed of rays of silver, charged with an eight-pointed (Maltese) cross. In the centre, on a silver background, are three imperial crowns surrounded by a band in which the Order's motto, Tria iuncta in uno (Latin for "Three joined in one") is inscribed. This central device is surrounded by two branches of laurel.
The motto was first used in James I's (and VI of Scotland) reign and was historically thought to refer either to the Union of England, Scotland and France, or to the Union of England, Scotland and Ireland, or to the Holy Trinity..
Tipstaff
The Tipstaff is a truncheon (baton) or rod. Historically it was hollow at one end so that the warrant of authority (the forerunner of all Warrant Cards or Police ID badges) which gave the policeman his authority could be contained inside. These tipstaffs were first carried in the late 1700's and early 1800's. When detectives (in plain clothes) were first authorised the tipstaves issued to plain clothes officers from 1867 were re-issued in 1870 engraved "Metropolitan Police officer in plain clothes".
After the establishment of the London Metropolitan Police, the Superintendents of the new police were supplied with short batons like the old tipstaff. When the English County and Borough Police Forces were established, the Chief Constable who was, and still is, the senior rank in those forces carried similar batons. The batons used in this insignia therefore carry us from the first beginnings of the modern police down to the present day.
Laurel Wreath
The Laurel Wreath, as a symbol of valour, suggests that our members stand out as a courageous body ready to exercise virtue.