Cops and their gear belts & patrol car

I was in uniform back in the late 70's and we wore no body armor back then in my agency becaues we didn't have any. My Sam Brown belt had a S&W M10HB in a Don Hume Border Patrol holster. Besides that, there was a dounle dump pouch and a flashlight ring and a handcuff case. That was about it I believe. I don't see how guys and gals can run or fight with all that stuff hanging on them now. I would fear that if I fell down I couldn't get up. The vest is a very good thing though.
 
Sounds like you guys need a job like Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone. He wears a sport coat, baseball hat, jeans, boots, and pistol. And he still gets the pretty girl in each episode at his age. He must have a Viagra pouch somewhere on that belt.
 
Originally posted by reddogge:
Sounds like you guys need a job like Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone. He wears a sport coat, baseball hat, jeans, boots, and pistol. And he still gets the pretty girl in each episode at his age. He must have a Viagra pouch somewhere on that belt.
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That's funny. In the books, Jesse is about 20 plus years younger.
 
I was lucky most of my LEO was Narcotics mostly undercover. I carried a snubie 38 in the boot and a slap jack in the other with a speed strip in the pocket. Pretty basic
 
Safearm explained it correctly. When I started as an LEO like every new one I had every gizmo you could think of. Leatherman, double cuff case, baton hindi-cap, you name it. The officer training me had 30+ years on and basically just the bare bones minimum. I thought he was just old, technology had just passed him, etc. Now, after numerous years in, I am down to the "bare bones minimum". Your back, knees and hips take a pounding.
 
I dumped the MagLite long ago, and the double cuff cases, and the boot knife, and the big key ring, and the sap gloves and the side handle baton. I would dump the Asp in a heartbeat, if it wasnt required on the street. Some of my fellow LTs, and Capts, carry gun, one spare mag, and a pair of cuffs.They also never leave HQ. I no longer carry a long gun in the trunk. Well, sometimes.
 
I've been a cop for 3 years and am only 24 years old and I can already tell my back will be a mess. I think the biggest problem is those damn cages. If I could adjust my seat more I would be a lot more comfortable. And as much as I love it, that damn 5946 isn't helping much either.
 
Loadbearing suspenders are available with breakaway snaps, but they're mostly only seen in the Northwest. A few departments are starting to go to external body armor carriers with gearpouches built in, but tradition plays a bigger part in uniform selection than practicality does.

Safariland came out with a "Levitation" belt that was supposed to prevent pressure on the hips. Don't know how it worked out; it was a proprietary system so I doubt it was adopted on a bid basis.
 
Maybe I shouldn't put this out there but keep it to myself, design a system, and get rich.
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Couldn't you have a system where you retain the outside duty belt but have it attached to a set of load bearing suspenders that rode under the uniform shirt? There could be small horizontal slits in the shirt, above the belt line, that the straps could feed through. This way you would have the support help of your shoulders but less chance of someone grabbing the straps during a scuffle.
 
My L-4, L-5, S-1 spinal fusion is healing quite well right now, thank you, after 30 years of police work.

I wish at age 19, we had the nylon gear and SUSPENDERS,(under the shirt, over the vest) which I wore the past three years, to keep that weight off of my sciatic nerve/lower discs. Ask anyone in law enforcement, it kills.

Other pointers for our newer LEO's, keep as much of your gear forward of your sides as possible, nothing in the lower back, keep your wallet in your shirt. Work out often and use proper ergonomics when lifting, (yeah...right, some limp or combative 230 pound drunk transient that you have to pour into your back seat...)
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Take care of yourselves, Waistgunner
 
Originally posted by Forester:
Maybe I shouldn't put this out there but keep it to myself, design a system, and get rich.
icon_smile.gif
Couldn't you have a system where you retain the outside duty belt but have it attached to a set of load bearing suspenders that rode under the uniform shirt? There could be small horizontal slits in the shirt, above the belt line, that the straps could feed through. This way you would have the support help of your shoulders but less chance of someone grabbing the straps during a scuffle.
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Just take your black nylon adjustable suspenders and full uniform to a qualified tailor and they put the small holes in the front and back of the shirts for you. The belt loops on the bottom of the suspenders stick out and around your duty belt...it works, that is how our department allows their usage.
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WG
 
Originally posted by WaistGunner:
Originally posted by Forester:
Maybe I shouldn't put this out there but keep it to myself, design a system, and get rich.
icon_smile.gif
Couldn't you have a system where you retain the outside duty belt but have it attached to a set of load bearing suspenders that rode under the uniform shirt? There could be small horizontal slits in the shirt, above the belt line, that the straps could feed through. This way you would have the support help of your shoulders but less chance of someone grabbing the straps during a scuffle.
Click to expand...

Just take your black nylon adjustable suspenders and full uniform to a qualified tailor and they put the small holes in the front and back of the shirts for you. The belt loops on the bottom of the suspenders stick out and around your duty belt...it works, that is how our department allows their usage.
icon_smile.gif
WG
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I knew it. Day late, dollar short.
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When I started in '83 we carried the 681 in a level 2 holster, baton ring, cuff case and a 12 round loop loader. State was real picky about allowing any thing else on the belt. I just went back to work part-time with a small dept. and carry from right to left; double mag pouch, Glock 21SF in a Safariland ALS holster, Ring for the Maglite, handcuffs on a strap, Streamlight TwinTask 3c in leather carrier, radio, baton ring w/old school wood stick, pepper spray and 2nd set of cuffs in an open case. I still use the 5 cell Maglite at night because I can tuck it under my left arm and read licences or illuminate my note book when writing and find it works much better this way than the short lights. Even with all this crap suspended from my middle I did catch a 17 yoa female shoplifter last month in a foot pusuit. Not to bad for a 53 year old geezer.
 
And if you happen to be a water cop, add in the life jacket. I have been using the suspenders for 7 years now, works fine, even at my advanced age. Only real problem I have is when we do our yearly water quals. We have to tread water in full gear for five minutes before we can inflate our PFDs. I can swim 5 miles every day without gear, but that treading water with 20+ pounds on is murder.
I also use the left suspender strap as a point of attachment for my knife, point up. Sheriff does not like it, but I keep pointing out that I might have to cut a line really like now (it has happened). My automatic knife is on my belt just behind my mag pouch on the off side. I also do not carry extra cuffs any more, and only one mag. No stun guns, have to carry the pepper spray which is the kind that turns to mud on your face and so is twice as heavy as the regular spray. I also cary a 14 oz blackjack in a tube pocket of trousers or shorts.
 
Here's my duty load. Starting from the belt buckle and going clockwise, a double mag pouch horizontally at about 1:30, G21 in Safariland ALS holster at 3:00, cuff case immediately behind, then nothing until my Maglite ring at about 7:00 ASP case at about 7:30, Surefire case at 8:00, radio at 9:00, pepper spray at about 10:00, key snap immediately in front of pepper spray case. Duty belt is nylon Bianchi, velcro lined with velcro inner belt.

Backup gun (snubbie SP101) is worn on a holster in my armor straps weak side (shirt is zippered, not buttoned, so it's readily accessible). My biggest problem is stuff in my shirt pockets (cell phone, notebook, lighter, pen). It drags the shirt against my neck, causing occasional neck pain. The biggest problem is the cell phone, but radio comms are occasionally not so good and I want the additional comm capability, just in case.

Altogether, although I haven't weighed it, I'm betting it's 20+ pounds including armor. Biggest thing I've learned is NOTHING at the back of my duty belt. When following this rule, I have no problem riding in the cruiser or sitting in a chair, it's standing for long periods of time with the belt pulling on my hips that gets me. That causes some lower back pain at times.

Bub
 
Retirèd now. But how about this, when they came out with cages in the car so no one had to sit in the back of the radio car with a prisoner. That cage cuts down the room up front a lot . Now you have to cram your self into the car and feel like your folded in half. Your wearing your duty belt with all your equipment, vest underneath your shirt and your wearing your seatbelt. You are in there so tight your not going any where even if you weren't wearing the seat belt. Now picture getting out of the car quickly when needed. Lol. You need to work out just to have the strength to pull your self out of the car.
 
mj2008 said:
Retirèd now. But how about this, when they came out with cages in the car so no one had to sit in the back of the radio car with a prisoner. That cage cuts down the room up front a lot . Now you have to cram your self into the car and feel like your folded in half. Your wearing your duty belt with all your equipment, vest underneath your shirt and your wearing your seatbelt. You are in there so tight your not going any where even if you weren't wearing the seat belt. Now picture getting out of the car quickly when needed. Lol. You need to work out just to have the strength to pull your self out of the car.
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I was a mechanic for the PSP and had to install the cage's in the patrol cars. The early model cages bolted to the floor and B pillar and I would install em to give the driver as much room as I could, who cares about the hooftie in the back. The later models had a mounting bracket that used the top seat belt attachment bolt as a mounting point and I couldn't mount em a bit back any more. Boy did I get a lot of grousing about that.
 
With all the before mention equipment on the duty belt, imagine the chief hiring a young beautiful 5 foot 4 inch female officer with a 20 inch waist and asking Jimmy to issue her duty belt and all items that goes on the duty belt. Grey hair, winkles, ulcers, and now this
 
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