scuffer, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

scuffer n.

also scufter

[? dial. scuff, to strike; Yorks. dial. scuff, ‘mean, sordid fellow, the scum of the people’ (EDD); or scurf, the back of the neck, and thus one who grabs you by it]

(UK, mainly northern) a policeman.

1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. (2nd edn) 209: scufter, a policeman.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 62/2: If t’ ‘skuffters’ turn me ower they’ll find nowt on me.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1886		Graphic 30 Jan. 23/1: In the North a constable is, or was, known as a scufter and a bulky .
1942		Liverpool Dly Post 3 Aug. 6/2: ‘’Ere keck, ’ere’s the scuffer comin’! amd [...] a dozen bare-footed Liverpool gamins [...] flee at the sight of the [...] policeman.
1966		T. Keyes All Night Stand 44: Any run-in with the scuffers would mean the end of my career.
1999		Roger’s Profanisaurus in Viz 98 Oct. 25: scuffer n. A cozzer; a rozzer; a tit-head; a filth.
2005		B. Hare Urban Grimshaw 33: The scuffers come looking for me there.

In phrases

judy scuffer (n.)

(UK, mainly northern) a policewoman.

1984

Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 1029/1: C.20.