ePrivacy and GPDR Cookie Consent by Cookie Consent

Police whistle information

History of the Police whistle

History of the Police whistle

ACME is famous for the model 15 Metropolitan English Police Whistle and we only supply the original and only genuine article that is made in Birmingham Englnd.

In 1883 Joseph Hudson (founder of ACME whistles) went to London to try to sell an unique whistle to the Police. The story is that Joseph had his idea for the tone of the Metropolitan Police whistle after he accidently dropped his violin and the breaking strings gave a high pitched discordant sound.

This sound he incorporated into the cylindrical design. The Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police held tests on Clapham Common and Hampstead Heath where he placed policemen around the area and Joseph Hudson's whistle was the only one to past the test.

Joseph Hudson expected the Metropolitan Police to order the whistles, however he heard that they had whistles made to his design locally. He again went to London and it appears tha the Metropolitan Police blamed the problem on losing his contact details (has anyhting changed). An initial order of 21,000 was given but Joseph then asked who was going to pay for the brass to make the whistles so the Police loaned him £20 for the raw materials and all 21,000 were delivered in 1884.

Over 45 million Police whistles have been sold to 120 authorities worldwide.