The police duty belt is one of the most underrated police supplies that acts as a carrier on which the officer can carry several other pieces of equipment like a gun, baton, flashlight, handcuffs, etc. Many police personnel, while on duty, carry these belts but never understand them truly. We often talk about the PASGT helmet and how bulletproof it is, and it is a level IIIA helmet, but we never talk about the police duty belt. So, in this article, let’s learn more about them.
What is a Police Duty Belt?
Before moving on to the equipment, let’s first discuss the duty belt itself. A police duty belt is normally 2.25″ broad (although some are 2″) and one of the essential police supplies that are composed of a durable material like leather or a substance that looks like leather.
Duty belts aren’t actually placed through the officer’s belt loops due to their size. An officer will instead wear a thinner inner belt and belt keepers to fasten their job belt. Instead of an inner belt and belt keepers, an officer will fasten their duty belt using a liner belt because certain duty belts have a hook liner on the inside.
What Equipment Does a Police Carry on a Duty Belt?
Holsters and Firearms
Duty holsters are normally rated for Level 3 retention with a firearm. In essence, this means that there are three alternative methods for keeping the officer’s gun in the holster. This makes it more difficult for someone other than the cop to get a hold of the gun.
Taser Holster
As suggested by the name, taser holsters are created to protect the officer’s tasers. To avoid any confusion between the two forms of force, an officer would typically place their taser holster on the other side of their pistol holster.
Extra Mag-Pouch
A law enforcement officer should carry two or three spare magazines on their job belt to be adequately prepared for the worst-case scenario.
Handcuff case
A single handcuff case may be sufficient in some cases, but typically an LEO will attach a double handcuff case to the job belt to contain two handcuffs.
Radio Holder
The ability to communicate is crucial in law enforcement. Every law enforcement officer needs quick and simple access to a radio. Some radio holders’ swivel for comfort when seated, preventing the radio from rubbing against the officer’s body.
Baton Holder
Various departments permit different batons. In addition, there are various holders for each type of baton. For example, straight stick and side handle batons frequently employ a baton ring, while expandable batons require a sheath or holder.
Spray Holder
For law enforcement personnel, spray (pepper spray) is a less-than-lethal force option that must be easily accessible on their duty belts.
Flashlight Holder
Whether day or night, police officers must keep the flashlight with them to use anytime they feel they need it. So, a duty belt makes it a handy and easy-to-keep item.
These are the list of equipment that a duty officer carries in their duty belt. So, as you can see, a single flat belt has a lot of purposes. So, they make one of the best police supplies for today’s police personnel.