A riot protection helmet is a type of helmet designed for law enforcement and military use to protect its wearer's head, face and eyes from handheld melee weapons, and thrown projectiles such as bricks, as may be met in riot control. Many modern riot squad helmets are reinforced with materials that will protect the wearer from dangerous substances such as acids or industrial chemicals.
There have been rare cases of riot protection helmets being worn to protect against objects blown by storm wind, for example in England in the 18 January 2007 gale.
The simplest form is a hard shell with reinforced padding, and a chinstrap and a hinge-up (usually polycarbonate) visor, as in this image. These riot protection helmet visors are usually curved sideways and straight up-and-down, not curved both ways like on the older type of motorcycle helmet. One accessory is a back-of-the-neck protector.
An example of a more complicated riotsquad helmet is a French CRS helmet which has two visors: the outer visor is clear and hinges up outside the helmet; the inner visor hinges up between two layers of the helmet and has a finish which can be seen through from inside but from outside looks like opaque polished brass.
Other possible accessories include built-in radio microphone and earpieces.
British cash-in-transit officers can also be seen wearing these helmets along with a stab proof vest to prevent serious injury if under attack.
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men who crouch by the hearth
till they want
but the riot of stars in the night;
those who dwell far inland
will seek ships.”
—Hilda Doolittle (1886–1961)
“No: until I want the protection of Massachusetts to be extended to me in some distant Southern port, where my liberty is endangered, or until I am bent solely on building up an estate at home by peaceful enterprise, I can afford to refuse allegiance to Massachusetts, and her right to my property and life. It costs me less in every sense to incur the penalty of disobedience to the State than it would to obey. I should feel as if I were worth less in that case.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“It’s very hot,
And weighs a lot,
As many a guardsman knows,
So off that helmet goes.”
—Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (1836–1911)