Here was a change from our usual "Who, Where and When" challenge. We didn't mean to tie you down in knots! All of these police-related ties have been worn by members of the Bermuda Police Service, but we wondered if you could tell us anything about their origin. The 2nd photo provided a close-up of the ties that have small insignia to assist you in read any wording.
Most of the ties are from the collection of retired Superintendent George Rose who has kindly provided the following information we have so far about this array of ties, starting from the left in the top photo:-
1. HOCPC Tie - This tie from the Home Office Crime Prevention Centre was issued to attendees at Crime Prevention Courses held at Baswich House in Staffordshire. It is said that the Staffordshire knot depicted on the tie could be used to hang three men simultaneously with one rope! This method of crime prevention was never part of the syllabus! This tie is owned by Roger Sherratt and we wonder if anyone else from the BPS has ever attended an HOCPC course? The HOCPC was moved from Staffordshire to Easington in North Yorkshire but it was closed permanently in July 2005.
2. ONE BITE OF THE CHERRY - This tie is owned by George Rose who often quotes the motto of one English Drug Squad with whom he has worked as “Strike not lightly a nest of hornets, but if you strike – strike hard!” In April 1982 George was transferred out of Narcotics and returned to Hamilton CID as the acting DCI. Narcotics came to be led by DI Edward Bailey for a short period before coming under the charge of John Williams. John was a firm believer that in drug investigations detectives are given only one chance to get it right before the evidence literally goes up in smoke or, more usually, down the toilet. Hence, he came up with the design for "one bite of the cherry! "
3. UNKNOWN ENGLISH DRUG SQUAD - This tie remains a mystery in that I cannot recall how it came into my possession. As Head of the Bermuda Narcotics Section for some years I dealt with more than one English police force when following-up drug conspiracies leading back into England (and beyond) – so it may have originated from one of those assisting forces. The Northampton Police springs to mind [DS Arnfield] and an interpretation of the Chinese symbols beneath the ganja leaf would undoubtedly assist in resolving the matter.
4. SPECIAL BRANCH (TRAVEL CONTROL) - The motif on this tie is representative of the ‘land, sea and air’. It was given to me by a Bermuda Travel Control officer back in the late 1970’s. Special Branch officers at ports also contribute to the generic police efforts towards the reduction of serious and organized crime by monitoring passengers in order to provide intelligence about criminal activity. Where appropriate the officers use their police powers to arrest criminals travelling through ports and to support other policing objectives. They also play an active role in the disruption and prevention of specific offences relating to the abduction of children through ports and protection of children or breaches of civil court orders. The effectiveness of Special Branch ports activity is enhanced through working very closely with colleagues in the United Kingdom and United States Immigration Services, the Home Office, Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise, the Department of Transport, the Travel industry, and other intelligence agencies.
Special Branches around the world make a significant contribution to countering the terrorist threat and maintaining national security by posting staff at airports, seaports and international rail terminals. Their contribution, in the main, consists of identifying and gathering intelligence on persons involved or suspected of being involved in terrorism or other forms of extremism, which have the potential to detrimentally affect the safety of the public or public order. This function extends also to gathering intelligence on other Special Branch priorities. The principle tool at the officers’ disposal is Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000.
In Bermuda, the effectiveness of Special Branch ports activity is enhanced through working very closely with colleagues in the United States Immigration Service, and with His Majesty’s Bermuda Customs and Revenue, the travel industry and other agencies.
www.guidelines on Special Branch work in the United Kingdom place proper web address
5. C7 - This tie most likely refers to the Technical Support Branch of the London Metropolitan Police. The C7 Branch comprises the administrative sections for the scenes-of-crime officers, explosives officers and laboratory liaison staff. It also has an Equipment Unit, staff of which operate and develop technical aids for police use. A taskforce of London forensic support officers [numbering about 14] travelled to Bermuda in the immediate aftermath of the 1973 assassination of Sir Richard Sharples and the subsequent related murders”.
I was lucky enough to receive this tie from a member of that taskforce.
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/61123NCJRS.pdf
6. THE BISHOP’S MITRE - This tie carries the motif of the Bishopgarth Detective Training School, in Wakefield, England which was administered by the West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police. Most of the students were from the police forces of England, Wales and the Royal Ulster Constabulary, but from time to time students attended from other countries or protectorates of the former British Empire – later called The Commonwealth.
Through the offices of the Ministry of Overseas Development, London, I was one of a number of CID officers from the Bermuda Police Force who attended both junior (1970) and senior (1977) detective training courses at Bishopgarth. Each course lasted approximately 2 months. Students represented forces from countries across every continent of the world – excluding Antarctica of course. In addition to the local officers, classes were sometimes made up serving officers from forces including Bermuda, Botswana, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, the Seychelles, Malawi, India, Ghana, Turks & Caicos, Mauritius and Sri Lanka.
Among much else, I benefitted from the lectured knowledge and investigative techniques used in other countries; one officer from Malawi detailed his work on the prolific lakeside witchcraft murders in his country. Another officer from Jamaica had left behind on his desk 27 unsolved murder enquiries.
7. THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD - The motif on this tie depicts a feather crossing above a sword indicating that the ‘pen is mightier than the sword.’
This tie was presented to me by officers from the Norfolk Constabulary whom I assisted in late 1977 in locally gathering evidence during their visit to the Island on fraud enquiries within the Bermuda jurisdiction. Two English nationals were later convicted at the Norfolk Crown Court and imprisoned for numerous offences including deception and land plot purchases in Grenada. Companies were set up in Bermuda and elsewhere to facilitate their criminal enterprises.
8. C1 - This tie refers to the internationally recognized C1 Department known as the Murder Squad, Scotland Yard. In 1973 the Yard sent its 3rd highest ranking officer Commander John Morrison who commanded the Metropolitan’s C1 Murder Squad to Bermuda where he spent several months helping in the investigation of a spate of murders, including the assassination of the island’s governor, Sir Richard Sharples and the murder of Bermuda’s police commissioner George Duckett. This well sought-after tie was given to me in 1976 by then DI Basil Haddrell of Scotland Yard’s murder squad with whom I had worked closely during the murders.
The best-known department of the Metropolitan Police Force is the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) which has 13 branches: The Central Office (C1) is the heart of the department from which operates the Murder Squad. Three teams of detectives remain constantly on 24-hour stand-by duty to deal with cases of homicide in London and respond to requests for help from overseas or provincial forces.
The Serious Crimes Squads which comprise a Forged Currency and Hi-jacking Squad; a Passport Squad (also concerned with illegal immigration); an Arts and Antiques Squad (and, under it, the Philatelic Squad); a Special Reserve Squad of senior officers on stand-by to deal with serious crimes, and an Organized Crime Squad.
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/61123NCJRS.pdf
N.B. - This short note is intended to be used for reference purposes and may be freely used in preparing articles, speeches, broadcasts, etc. No acknowledgment is necessary, Please note the date of preparation [1979].
9. OS 1977 UNITY - This was a Bishopgarth tie created by the senior overseas CID class ending in September 1977 of which I was part. Note the Bishops motre at the top.
10. BPS Tie - This is the official tie of the Bermuda Police Service and is still available for sale at the Police Recreation Club at Prospect
9th May 2020
We have heard from Benedict Kennedy who I'm presuming is or has been a member of the Metropolitan Police to the effect that the seventh tie from the left depicts the 'feather and sword' motif of the Met Police Fraud Squad (which was also adopted by some other regional Fraud units too). The Met Police Fraud Squad motto was 'The pen is mightier than the sword'. Still used today, but the Fraud Squad is now rebranded as the Economic Crime Command and is part of Specialist Crime.
Editors note - Many thanks for this information Benedict. It sounds as though one of our officers must have had an attachment to the Met's then Fraud Squad.
We would be very interested is seeing any other police-related ties that our ExPo members have acquired during their time servbing in the Bermuda Police Service.