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 | | Thursday, 6 December, 2001, 06:29 GMT Police become caped crusaders  Police have got fashion tips from Dixon of Dock Green Police in a Devon town are donning uniforms from 40 years ago to reduce Christmas crime. Bobbies in Ilfracombe are wearing police issue capes from the 1950 and 60s to give themselves a higher profile. Police say their fluorescent jackets make them blend in with council workers and workmen. They say the capes, a familiar sight on TV shows such as Heartbeat and Dixon of Dock Green, make them stand out and so deter criminals. Public joy Sergeant Tom Holmes thought of the idea after chatting with other officers and finding out many of them had the old capes. His father was also a police officer and handed down his cape, which dates back to 1963. Sergeant Holmes said: "The public love seeing us in old-fashioned uniform. "They seem to feel safer with us wearing the old uniform.
He said he and other members of the community safety team who walk beats in North Devon would be wearing the capes until Christmas. "We seem to stand out more wearing these capes. "Road workers and council workers wear yellow jackets and we seem to blend in with them. "It is nice to have a higher profile running up to Christmas as the violent offences do go up as does shoplifting. "A high-profile strategy combats this rise in crime." He said the capes do not interfere with modern day policing either and have some added bonuses. "We can wear all our regular equipment underneath easily and it keeps us nice and warm on patrol. "You can keep your chips warm under them." | |   See also: Top England stories now:  Links to more England stories are at the foot of the page. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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