Police officers and staff in England and Wales are frustrated with their uniforms which they say, are unfit for purpose, restrictive and contribute to major health issues.
The research is led by Dr Camilla De Camargo and Dr Stephanie Wallace, from Lancaster University Law School, working in collaboration with Police Federation of England & Wales's (PFEW) Senior Researcher Sahrish Khan, and the National Police Chiefs' Council.
The survey, carried out in 2024, includes 20,838 respondents, of which 86% of respondents are police officers and 14% of respondents are police staff, with 34% female and 66% male.
The findings, which detail complaints of musculoskeletal issues and crushed testicles to lumps in breasts, are revealed in the first ever national perspective on police uniform and equipment published today (July 31).
And, says the study, given the amount of time they spend in uniform, having a more functional uniform would increase officer safety and the ability to complete every-day tasks, such as walking, running, climbing, and ultimately, making police workers more effective.
The results of the National Uniform and Equipment Survey reveal the majority of respondents (56%) report their overall experience of wearing the police uniform in England and Wales as overwhelmingly negative. This is compared with just 20% who regard their experience in the uniform as positive while 6 in 10 (64%) respondents report that the uniform restricts their movement and reduces their effectiveness.
The overall findings reflect the experiences and opinions of uniform wearers and includes both police officers and police staff from the 43 forces of England and Wales, who currently wear uniform as part of their police role.
Dr De Camargo said "We are shocked by the results but, unfortunately, not surprised - it is important to be able to highlight these issues on such a large scale. We hope that this evidence can lead to impactful changes that improve the lives of uniform wearers every day."
The results show considerable variation between forces, which likely reflects the different uniforms worn but also how much money has been invested in individual force uniforms and equipment.
PFEW National Board members Belinda Goodwin and Zac Mader, who have worked closely with the researchers, said: "The national survey findings are disquieting to the say the least. Our officers put their lives on the line day in and day out to provide the highest standards of service which the public rightly expects from them. Yet, 7 in 10 officers find their uniform restricts their movement thereby reducing their effectiveness, while more than 5 in 10 officers find their current body armour uncomfortable. These factors significantly heighten risk to officer safety and impact their ability to keep their communities safe.
"How can it be right that on one hand our employers (Chief Constables) and the Government are adopting modern technology and costly artificial intelligence assisted equipment such as drones, and on the other hand they refuse to invest in basic day-to-day equipment such as new age uniform and body armour for our officers and staff?
"We ardently appeal to our employers and the Government to wake up and take cognisance of the independent evidence obtained by this pioneering study to immediately devote resources to provide our officers with uniform that is fit for purpose and fit for all."
The survey found Merseyside Police and South Yorkshire Police reported unanimously with more than 70% of respondents reporting negative experiences of the uniform.
This perception of uniform is reflected, to a slightly lesser degree, in a further 38 forces, where between 40% to 69% of respondents expressed negative experiences of wearing the uniform.
North Yorkshire Police is the only force where the overall experience of wearing the uniform is positive with just under half (44%) of respondents reporting an overall positive experience of wearing their uniform.
The cargo trousers worn by more than 12,000 employees are identified as being the most challenging item of clothing that negatively impacts respondents' experience of wearing the uniform with 69% of survey respondents seeing them as problematic.
One respondent commented: "They're not practical to search house(s) in and carry on stop searches when bending to floor/restraining someone on the floor. They teach us all these good restraints and moves in Public Safety Training, but I can't do half of them in these trousers."
Similarly, the second most problematic piece of equipment was the general-purpose body armour with 61% of respondents saying that it was very uncomfortable and caused them ongoing discomfort and soreness. One respondent commented: "Just saying 'pain' does not cover it. Positional issues with the constant weight have reshaped by back and neck over years of wear."
Many respondents (34%) do not think they look smart in their uniform and report that the poor fit, particularly the shirts, make them feel unprofessional, scruffy, and self-conscious.
Survey respondents indicate their uniform has contributed to a number of physical health conditions. When broken down by gender some 62% of males and 85% of females reported they have at least one physical health condition which, they believe, has been caused by or made worse by wearing their uniform
The most common health condition reported by 44% of males is musculoskeletal pain affecting joints, bones and muscles with almost 400 comments listing back pain, back injuries, and back spasms and many attributing this pain to their body armour or equipment.
One respondent commented: "The poor design and restricted movement of the force-issued trousers coupled with the weight and poor design of the cheap body armour placed increasing load on my lower back and prevented me from bending at the knee properly. This led to a herniated disc and resulted in several months sick leave and requiring extensive treatment."
Females reported multiple conditions, with the stomach area being a key area of concern.
The survey found the trousers, in particular, to be ill-fitting and restrictive in the hip, groin and upper thigh areas for female wearers also. Many report that the trousers dig in at the crotch, and in some extreme cases lead to blistering, swelling and cuts to women's genitals.
One female respondent said: "Honestly, if I left my job, these (trousers) would be the number one reason."
A general lack of consideration of the different shape of female bodies, says the survey report, leads to other uniform concerns. At least 38% of females reported they experienced crushed breasts due to the fit of the body armour.
One respondent commented: "The stab vest doesn't incorporate breasts, pressing on my chest and making it hard to breathe."
UK Uniform Portfolio Lead for the National Police Chief's Council Melissa Russhard said: "This important research provides an understanding of the experience of police officers and uniformed staff nationwide. The findings can now inform our progress to eliminating the postcode lottery around uniform safety and standards and help us define and introduce the highest minimum standards for everyone."
The National Uniform and Equipment Survey follows on from work led by Dr De Camargo, whose PhD explored the history of the police uniform and led to subsequent work investigating females' experiences of wearing the uniform.
