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Police duty belt
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A police duty belt (sometimes referred to as a gun belt) is a belt, typically constructed of nylon or leather. The belt is designed for police and security officers to carry equipment easily, in a readily-accessible manner, while leaving the hands free to interact.
History
Many police forces in the United Kingdom began with a uniforms consisting of a swallow-tail coat and top hat. A pillbox or kepi hat along with a frock coat were introduced in the 1860s, along with helmets designed especially for protection against attack and the weather.
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Encyclopedia
A police duty belt (sometimes referred to as a gun belt) is a belt, typically constructed of nylon or leather. The belt is designed for police and security officers to carry equipment easily, in a readily-accessible manner, while leaving the hands free to interact.
History
Many police forces in the United Kingdom began with a uniforms consisting of a swallow-tail coat and top hat. A pillbox or kepi hat along with a frock coat were introduced in the 1860s, along with helmets designed especially for protection against attack and the weather. Truncheons themselves had been introduced as early as 1764, however it was not until 1994 that police forces in the UK started to nationally standardise their uniform prompting the introduction of the duty belt to contain such equipment, instead of previously havinging their staff carry equipment in their handbags or adapted pockets. In the case of the earliest equipment carrying, a cutlass or firearm was usually clipped to the belt of the frock coat. In fact pockets themselves were not introduced until the early 1900s in some cases.
Before duty belts, British female officers carried their truncheons, which were shorter than the male version, in their handbags along with their police notebook as a matter of routine. Male officers carried handcuffs, whereas female officers were not permitted to without special permission. During the 1950s and 1960s the Sam Browne belt was in popular use by police officers in the USA.
Composition
Material
Most duty belts have a width of 2-1/4 inches and are either made of ballistic nylon or leather. Many Canadian police departments have had officers complain of having back pain due to their supposedly rigid nylon belts and in response, many Canadian departments are now switching to leather belts because they are considered by some to be more flexible. Older belts used to buckle under the weight of whatever was carried; recently manufacturers have introduced double ply belts which retain their shape and can withstand the weight of the equipment.
Nylon duty gear is generally less expensive, lighter, and easier to maintain than leather gear of comparable quality. However, leather gear is generally regarded as having a more traditional and professional appearance. To combine the best of both materials, companies like Bianchi manufacture nylon duty gear that has the appearance of leather.
Color
The most common color for duty belts in service with law enforcement personnel and security officers is black, however there is some variation. In some instances, brown leather is used in place of black, which is generally only chosen for cosmetic purposes, usually that it is more suited to the colour scheme of the officers uniform.
Application
Duty belts wrap around the officer's waist and fasten with a buckle at the front, this is usually protected by a velcro cover to prevent release of the belt by anyone other than the officer.
Belt keepers
In the past many belts would sag and move around while on the waist when an officer was engaging in a physical activity. Belt keepers wrap around the duty belt and trouser belt ensuring that the belt stays in place, even when the officer is taking something from the belt or engaging in an altercation with a suspect.
Belt suspenders
Belt suspenders allow the wearer to move a portion of the weight of the belt onto the shoulders, reducing the weight imposed on the lower back. This also means that the belt does not have to be worn as tight, cutting down on pressure exerted on the stomach and waist area. However, there are also safety concerns over suspenders, as they can be used against the officer in the event of a struggle, but newer versions such as break off act like a clip-on tie when pulled, reducing the risk of any injury to the officer.
Fasteners
Traditionally, belts have been fastened using a metal buckle, however this type is changing for a number of reasons. Now, plastic buckles are more common, and many incorporate a three way buckle system, for added security. An example of this is the "Coplock" system, which requires the wearer to depress a third release catch before the buckles may be separated, this is to decrease the chance of the belt being released by anyone but its wearer.
Plastic buckles are often favored over the traditional metal versions, because when in use it is much easier to adjust the length of the belt to suit the officers natural bodily curves, whereas with the metal belt buckles is was only possible to have the belt at pre-set lengths, determined by the position of the holes in the belt, therefore making it difficult to suit an officer personally.
Equipment
Some equipment commonly carried on the belt includes: PlastiCuffs, handcuffs, radios, baton, hand-held protection devices such as CS spray, pepper spray. Firearms and ammunition (Within the UK the majority of police are unarmed, along with select few of other countries), flashlights, batteries, gloves, pens, pencils and keys. Although the equipment carried largely differes from country to country, and within that areas also differ
Handgun holster
Holster designs for firearms cover a wide variety of shapes, materials, and retention/release mechanisms. These range from simple leather pouches hanging from a belt to highly protective holsters with flaps that cover the entire handgun, along with custom made adjustable competition holsters that hold the handgun at a precise position that releases instantly with the right pressure imposed. The wide range of types indicates the highly varied circumstances in which holsters are used, and the varying preferences of the users. Most commonly, the holster is set up so that the grip is level with, or slightly above, the top of the duty belt for easy and quick release.
Although there are many different forms of holsters, the one most commonly worn by police officers is whats called a duty holster. Duty holsters are designed to be carried openly,when concealment is not deemed necessary. However, as they are visible to others, security of the weapon is an important consideration. Appearance is also important in duty holsters, as they are generally considered part of the wearer's uniform, so they are often found made with glossy-smooth or basketweave leather for law enforcement use. Duty holsters are generally only found for full-sized and mid-sized handguns, as there is no reason to carry a subcompact handgun unless concealment is needed. Weapon retention is generally not as paramount a consideration in military holsters as it is in law enforcement holsters due to the different occupational nature of their users.
Modern law enforcement duty holsters are available with varying levels of retention security (i.e. Level I, Level II, Level II+, Level III, etc.); some security features are passive (such as retention screws, decoy straps, and Safariland's SLS hood guard accessory), while others are active and require deliberate manipulation by the officer during the draw (such as traditional thumbreak snaps, Safariland's SLS system and SLS Sentry accessory). While a higher level of retention will make it more difficult for a suspect to snatch a holstered handgun away from an officer, it may also reduce the speed and ease with which an officer may draw his handgun (especially if the security features are active and not passive). Therefore, when selecting a duty holster, an officer may be forced to select a balance of speed and retention that they feel comfortable with.
Radio pouch
The radio pouch securely holds the officer's portable personal radio or "Handheld transceiver" (HT).
There are two popular radio pouch designs. The first consists of an L-shaped bar which the radio rests on, and is secured by a loop around the middle of the radio. The second is a two-piece design consisting of a radio pouch and a swivel. The radio is held in the pouch by a loop over the top, then the pouch is attached to the belt by a swivel. This design allows the radio to be easily removed from the belt for hand held use. Until 2005 British police radios were formerly worn on the belt, with the external Public Safety Microphone, being clipped on the lapel for the officer to talk into. Whereas from 2005 onwards the radio has been clipped on the belt, with an earpiece as the active receiver, although some forces still retain the use of the pre 2005 style.
Handcuffs
Chain link or hinged
Because of the smaller carrying size of these types of handcuffs, officers generally have a greater range of placement options on the belt.
As can be seen to the left, many officers choose to carry their cuffs in either an open or closed top holder. The advantage of this is that when an officer may be involved in a struggle, the cuffs are in an easier position to draw and apply them.
However, concerns have been aired that this maybe an unsafe practise, due to the pressure exerted on the small of the back by the cuffs and case, whilst seated. Although this may not be a problem for beat officers, who patrol an area on foot. This can cause severe problems in vehicle-based "response" officers, over time, the cuff case may cause a rupture in the L-5 disc of the back, and cause pinching of the Sciatic nerve. Thus numbing the officers left leg, severely affecting their running ability, which is necessary in their daily duties, for example a foot pursuit of a suspect.
Some officers also choose to carry their handcuffs in the small of back position, but do not utilise a handcuff case, meaning that one side of the cuffs is pushed between the officer's belt and trousers (or simply tucked into their trousers), and the other side is allowed to hang loose on the outside. This method is often utilized by plain clothes officers who do not wear a belt of any sort, and therefore are unable to use a case. Although in the modern day British police, officers who carry handcuffs openly have an adapted holder designed to accommodate the cuffs at and angle, with a speed release mechanism.
Rigid
Because of the rigid bar in this type of handcuffs, these tend to occupy more space on a belt whereas the chain link could be folded, the rigid type decreases the number of possible wearing positions. Typically, the cuffs are worn in an especially adapted holster at a 45 degree angle, on either the left or right side of the officer, depending on whether they are left or right-handed. These types of handcuffs are known as speedcuffs or quickcuffs as the rigid bar design allows the officer to easily control the suspect and a much quicker placement on the wrist of the offender. Rigid handcuffs are most popular in the UK. Although in the modern day British police, officers who carry handcuffs openly have an adapted holder designed to accommodate the cuffs at and angle, with a speed release mechanism.
Chemical sprays
Another common item that is carried by police officers is a chemical irritant in the form of an aerosol can. The four common formulations are; OC, CS, CN tear gas, or PAVA Spray.
One method of carrying these is in a detachable holder, attached to the wearer by a belt loop, and a lanyard. This provides the officer with both an easy, fast method of bringing their spray in a position for use against a suspect, and also a secure way of carrying it, as the lanyard means that it is always within reach of the officer, and they have a method of drawing it back should it fall.
Another method of carriage that is used, and is more basic, is to simply contain the canister in a pouch, secured by either a Velcro or button fastener. For the canister to be ready for operational use, most pouches of this type contain a coiled spring at the bottom bringing the canister into reach above the neck of the pouch when the cover is undone. Although most British police forces have transitioned to the detachable holder (see above) type of carriage.
Chemical sprays, such as OC are an excellent tool to augment other less lethal devices such as the Taser. The chemical sprays offer the ability to deter multiple persons as opposed to the singer opponent a Taser can realistically affect.
Portable Lighting
Primary flashlights
Law enforcement and security officers often have a large and powerful flashlight for duty use which is often carried on the belt, with an even more powerful one in the car. These lights are usually used when the officer needs a powerful light. These lights are usually rechargeable and stay on the charger when not in use.
Long, cylindrical flashlights tend to be carried in a flashlight ring. Rings are simple and inexpensive, and are convenient for flashlights which are not regularly carried. However, the flashlight is permitted a great amount of vertical and horizontal freedom which can make the light insecure and uncomfortable to carry.
Examples of popular primary flashlights:
- Mag Instrument MagCharger
Secondary flashlights
Because of the size and weight of most primary lights, and sometimes agency policy, many officers choose to carry a smaller secondary flashlight for everyday tasks. These lights are usually rechargeable and are kept in a holder on the duty belt.
Examples of popular secondary lights:
- Streamlight Stinger / Polystinger
- Surefire 8AX/8NX Commander
- Blackhawk Nite-Ops Gladius
Auxiliary flashlights
Rechargeable flashlights have been known to fail at inappropriate times. Because of this, many officers carry additional non-rechargeable flashlights. These lights must be small, light, bright and absolutely dependable. These lights may be kept in a holder on the belt, or in a trouser pocket.
These flashlights often use CR123 3.0 volt lithium or alkaline 1.5 volt AA battery cells.
Examples of popular auxiliary lights:
Weapon Lights
To allow for better weapon control, officers often attach a specially adapted flashlight directly to the firearm underneath the barrel. These lights tend to be especially small, light, robust, and use non-rechargeable batteries.
They sometimes have special features available, such as LASER emitters.
Examples of popular weapon lights:
- Surefire 618/918 shotgun foreend family
Magazine pouch
If the officer is carrying a firearm, it is known that spare magazines or speedloaders are generally required to be carried, in the event of a prolonged firefight. There are two basic variants to these holders, where the magazine is carried in a vertical position, or in a horizontal position. The advantage of carriage in a vertical, upright position is that the magazine occupies less space on the belt, and therefore more magazines can be carried. The advantage of horizontal carry is that greater comfort is provided for officers whom are not physically fit. There is also variation in the number of magazines a pouch holds. The norm is for two magazines to be carried, but there are also variants which allow for carriage of more, or less, dependent on the needs of the officer. Also, similar to holders of other items of equipment, these can be found with either an open top design, or a closed design fastened either with a press stud or Velcro.
Baton holder
There are several types of baton holders for officers who have fixed or collapsible batons. For fixed straight and side-handle batons, they use a ring which keeps the baton in place, but can slide out when the officer is running or engaging in an altercation with an offender, and a fixed baton usually has to be removed before the officer can sit in his patrol vehicle.
In the UK, where the police are not generally equipped with firearms, they use a cross-draw holster for their extendable batons, which is on the opposite side of their strong hand, facing forward. When an officer needs to draw the device from a cross-draw baton holster, he would be required to reach across his front to the other side of the belt, where the baton is, undo a thumbsnap (these baton holders have open tops, but are considered secure) and pull the baton out of the pouch. These holders also allow the baton to be stored while extended to allow the officer to arrest a suspect without the officer having to drop his baton or collapse it, which could take time and allowing the suspect to stage a counter attack or escape.
Elsewhere, officers can choose to have a closed baton pouch or an open top baton pouch for their extendable batons. Open top baton pouches are considered by some officers to be a safety concern as there is no thumbsnab to undo, as an officer may be unaware of the baton being taken from him or falling out when moving.
Key holder
Noise reduction is a major issue for an officer, because if a suspect hears the officer approaching, the element of surprise has been lost, allowing the suspect to prepare himself/herself for possible resistance. Many officers are now choosing to wear "silent" key keepers, which simply includes a small pad of Velcro below the key clip into the design, which wraps around the keys preventing movement when the officer may be approaching, or moving at speed. Other types of key holders include models which work in the same way as a tape-measure. When the keys are pulled away from the base, held on the duty belt, and used to unlock something, and subsequently when the officer releases the keys, they simply retract automatically back to the base. Another design is a hidden key keeper, which are concealed in a belt keeper, but this is mostly only used for the storage of spare sets of handcuff keys.
Disposable gloves
Either nitrile or latex, disposable gloves are useful when physically handling subjects that may have infectious diseases. Numerous companies manufacture dedicated pouches designed specifically to hold disposable gloves, as well as multi-purpose pouches that can hold either pagers, disposable gloves, or any other such small objects that will with the pouch.
Knife pouch
It is often necessary for police officers to carry either a knife, or a multitool. The former is primarily used not as a self defense object, but as a utility tool for the cutting of various objects, an example of which is a car seat belt, which an officer may have to quickly cut in order to remove an injured person from a motor vehicle. The latter, a multitool, can be used in a number of different situations, depending on its specific design. It may be used as a knife, in the circumstances described above, and may also be used in the assembly or disassembly of various items in the field, to facilitate their repair. It also has a limited use as a method of entry tool. Officers may also choose to carry a window-punch which is a small metal point on the end of a hammer type handle, which the officer can use to break a window either to access a car or a residence.
First aid kit
Since police officers are amongst the first to arrive to any incident, where medical attention potentially may be required, officers may wear a first aid pouch containing some basic life saving equipment, which is useful while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. This equipment may include: medical gloves, CPR mask and antiseptic wipes. It should be noted that it is not common practice for American peace officers to wear a first aid pouch on their duty belt.
Country-specific equipment
British police
Unlike most other police departments world-wide, British police officers are not equipped with firearms. The standard equipment for officers of the British police forces includes handcuffs, TETRA or Airwaves radio (often carried on the shoulder lapel), pepper spray or CS spray, collapsible baton, and a personal protection pouch (gloves, CPR mask). British police officers, and those of the Hong Kong Police Force, can also carry their warrant cards on their belts although it is not a widespread use.
Concerns and Remedies
American police officers often carry more than 20 lb (9 kg) of equipment. Many police officers develop health conditions, such as back problems, as a result of this.
Officers with back problems sometimes use suspenders, which transfer some of the belt's weight to the shoulders, reducing the amount of weight concentrated at the waist.
Some officers are also switching to harnesses. This harness goes over their stab-proof vest and reduces the need for officers to keep reaching round to get their equipment. Some officers have even stored their equipment in pockets of their coats or trousers, however this is not recommended if you need to reach for the equipment quickly.
Makers
Manufacturers of police duty belts include:
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