Collar number

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A collar number, also known as a shoulder number or Force Identification Number, identifies uniformed officers, Police Community Support Officers (PCSO), and some police staff in UK police forces. Although now displayed on epaulettes (i.e. on the shoulder), it is still commonly referred to as a collar number.

In smaller forces it is simply a 1 to 4 digit number, but in larger forces a one- and two-letter code (also known as a Division Call Sign) is usually added to indicate the officer's base area or unit:

[edit] City Of London

A number followed by a single letter to indicate the division.
Suffix code Meaning
A Operational Support (Dogs, Mounted, Traffic) (formerly Moor Lane)
B Snow Hill & Wood Street
C Bishopsgate
D CID (formerly Cloak Lane)
E Headquarters

[edit] Metropolitan Police Service

A number followed by one or two letters indicating the station or unit. A one or two digit number denotes a Sergeant, a three digit number denotes a Constable, a four digit number beginning with 5 denotes a Special Constable and a four digit number beginning with 7 denotes a PCSO. Confusingly, MPS epaulettes show the number with the letters and digits "flipped", i.e. 81FH - a Sergeant based at Hammersmith - would show FH81 on his/her shoulder, which would correctly be the call sign of a panda car based in Hammersmith. CO, CC, D, O, R, T & U officers do not follow these numbering rules, with officers having anything from one to four digits.
Suffix code Meaning
AB Belgravia
BH Notting Hill
BS Brompton
CC Central Communications Command (CO10)
CD West End Central
CO Central Operations (formerly Commissioner's Office)
CW City of Westminster
CX Charing Cross
D Diplomatic Protection Group
DM Marylebone
DP Paddington
EH Hampstead
EK Kentish Town
EO Holborn
FF Fulham
FH Hammersmith
GD Shoreditch and Hackney (now includes stoke newington)
GN Stoke Newington (no longer used as a prefix)
HH Limehouse (No longer used)
HT Bethnal Green (Now includes Limehouse)
ID Heathrow Airport (now Aviation Security (SO18))
JB Barkingside (No longer used)
JC Chingford (Includes Leyton)
JI Ilford (Now includes Barkingside)
JL Leyton (Not currently used)
KD Havering
KF Forest Gate (Includes Plaistow)
KG Dagenham
KO Plaistow (Not currently used)
LD Brixton
LS Streatham
LX Vauxhall
MD Southwark
MM Peckham
MS Walworth
NH Holloway (No longer used)
NI Islington (Includes Holloway)
O Traffic Control (generally called Oscar Units within the MPS)
P Parliament (SO17)
PD Catford
PG Penge
PL Lewisham
PN Orpington
PY Bromley
QA Harrow
QD Wembley
QK Kilburn
R Royalty Protection Group
RG Plumstead
RG Greenwich
RO Royal Parks
RY Bexleyheath
SA Barnet
SX Colindale
SO Specialist Operations
SCD Specialist Crime Directorate
T Training Section
TW Twickenham
TX Hounslow
U Uniform (TSG Others SE, SW, NW, NE for sectors)
VK Kingston-Upon-Thames
VW Merton
WA Battersea
WW Wandsworth
XB Uxbridge
XD Ealing
XH Hillingdon
XS Southall
YE Edmonton (Now includes Enfield)
YF Enfield (No longer used)
YR Haringey (formerly Hornsey)
YT Tottenham (No longer used)
ZD Croydon
ZM Merton
ZN South Norwood
ZT Sutton

[edit] References

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