Behind Policing: The disappearance (sort of) of the Pocket Notebook.
- Abigail Eden
- Jun 9
- 3 min read
“This is the most important piece of equipment you will ever own”
- Nicholas Angel, Hot Fuzz (2007)
When Sir Robert Peel founded the London Metropolitan Police in 1829, officers were issued little more than a wooden truncheon, a pair of handcuffs and a wooden rattle to call for assistance.
Modern-day officers are, of course, expected to carry much more than their 19th-century counterparts; from radios, body armour and tasers to body-worn cameras and handcuffs. Despite all these additions to their arsenal over time, one simple tool has remained an essential part of everyday policing for more than a century: the Pocket Notebook.
From Our Collection - Examples of notebooks from 1972 belonging to a Bradford City Police Officer.
This small, leather-bound notebook fits snugly in their uniform and can be pulled out at a moment’s notice. Pocket notebooks, or PNBs were formally issued to British police officers around the 1860s. They are relied upon for a wide range of tasks: from recording witness statements and observations while on duty to drawing sketches of traffic collisions.
The PNB is an official document that is often presented as evidence during court proceedings. It is therefore no surprise that it comes with a long list of rules and guidelines. Every PNB has a unique serial number engraved on the cover and sequentially numbered pages that cannot be removed, altered or defaced. If an officer wishes to remove something from their notebook, a single black line has to be drawn through it, and the officer must write their initials next to it. Officers are also required to keep their PNB clean, write only in black ink, date and time every entry, leave no blank pages, and always write legibly.
Modern policing has been undergoing a digital transformation for more than a decade and has continually removed, updated and replaced equipment in favour of their more up-to-date alternatives. Over the last decade, all 45 territorial police forces have introduced Electronic Notebooks (ENBs) and mobile devices to their forces. This shift began in 2008, when the Home Office funded £71 million to rollout thousands of handheld devices across the UK. By 2012, 41,000 mobile devices were being used across the UK, now the Metropolitan Police alone uses over 28,000 across its force.
The main benefit of using ENBs is their ability to increase the productivity, visibility and effectiveness of police forces. ENBs allow officers remote access to policing systems, meaning they can upload evidence and quickly search across police databases without needing to return to police stations. Furthermore, the date and location of ENB entries are automatically added, reducing bureaucracy and workload for officers - who definitely could do with less paperwork! Some can even scan fingerprints using the device’s camera.
For those of you who are still fond of handwritten notes, don’t panic just yet! Traditional police paper notebooks have not disappeared from policing entirely; some forces still allow them to be carried alongside their new mobile device, as technology cannot always be completely reliable. For some, there are still concerns regarding battery life, technical issues or simply a dislike of the new devices. However, some forces such as West Yorkshire police have phased the handheld notebooks out entirely.
Writer's Profile, Abigail Eden
"Since graduating university, I finally have time to research and write articles about things I enjoy, without the stress of receiving a grade for it! Volunteering at the Bradford Police Museum was the most obvious choice, as I have always found policing incredibly interesting, particularly the ever-changing methods the police have to implement. My goal is to become a speech and language therapist, but arts and heritage will always be something I want to support and engage with."
Sources
Yu, Shasha & Carroll, Fiona. (2022). Insights into the Next Generation of Policing: Understanding the Impact of Technology on the Police Force in the Digital Age
Great article! A real interesting read!