Thanks to NYPD Homicide Detective Thomas P Handley for raising an item. Hats! I thought the following excerpt from a blog post dated 11/20/09 on NYPD history from an old and dear friend John Cornicello, Lieutenant, Commander of Detectives, or as we more affectionately called him; The Minister (of Investigations) would be a good read. The Minister’s explanation as to why detectives need to “dress the part” or in this case, “get a hat”, is exactly what I carried over into my public safety vendor world. It drives me crazy to see someone representing our company in dockers and a golf shirt. I realize that most people with 3% body fat look better in a golf shirt than I do in a suit carrying 50 lbs I shouldn’t be, but it’s the effort and the suggestion that this is someone that can get things done; invaluable to a person facing 25 years or life in prison or looking to procure a previously “unproven” technology. Trust and respect! It’s a two way street. It’s my story and I am sticking to it! Enjoy John’s post from 10 years ago (and the pic):
“HEY KID- GET A HAT”
The fedora was once a staple item in the detective’s wardrobe.
Any old-time crime scene photo would prove this. Detectives at crime scenes always wore a hat.
The hat was a part of everyday dress to most men. Looking at photos from World Series games in the 40’s and 50’s you notice that all the men in the stadium wore hats, and were probably wearing a suit and tie as well! How things have changed.
Elmore Leonard, a noted author of crime fiction, had a quote in a book that I used previously on this site. “I like homicide detectives. They wear hats. They wear hats so that other law-enforcement people will know they’re homicide”The NYPD was no different. A detective in the NYPD wore a hat, most likely a fedora. If you were trying to stand out a little, or flexing your individuality, you may have gone with a homburg (Jack Maple), or a porkpie (ala Popeye Doyle in French Connection) hat.
There was a saying in the department. “Hey Kid- Get a Hat”.
That meant you were getting promoted to Detective (or, more likely, to the Detective Division as a white shield investigator). When someone told you to “Get a Hat” it meant you were moving into “The Squad” – and you had better make sure you dressed the part!
