Police Duty Belt Setup – A Step-by-Step Guide
Antonio Gravante/Shutterstock.com
As a police officer, your duty belt is to you what a toolbox is to an auto mechanic. It holds the tools you need to do your job, and your life depends on having the right gear at your fingertips. You need quick access to items like your gun in an emergency and this involves having your equipment in the right place.
Choosing the right place for your gear involves a bit of trial and error because what works for someone else may not work for you. And some police departments don’t give you a choice. Their policies and procedures require you to place your duty belt accessories in specific places. The key to setting up your duty belt is finding a balance between convenience, comfort and functionality.
So, here are some tips on how to set up a duty belt that’s comfortable to wear for 12 hours or more and tactically placed.
Essential Duty Gear
The essential duty gear varies for each law enforcement agency, so this list may not include everything you carry or may have items you do not. Generally, essential police equipment for gun belts includes:
- Gun and holster
- Taser and holster
- OC spray and holder
- Handcuffs and cuff case
- Extendable baton and holster
- Keys/key ring
- Tactical flashlight and holder
- Radio and clip or holster
- Spare magazines
- Five or more belt keepers
- Disposable gloves and pouch
Restrictions for Gear Placement
Before discussing where to place your equipment on your duty belt, let’s talk about where NOT to put things. As a general rule of thumb, you shouldn’t put your equipment on the rear of your gun belt. It’s too hard to reach in a fight or when you need it—and if you fall and land on your back, it can injure you.
However, one item that many police officers often place in the rear is their disposable glove pouch. This item can go here because it essentially lays flat and, usually, when you need disposable gloves, you’re not in a fight for your life.
Other than the glove pouch and belt keeper, refrain from putting equipment all the way in the back. You’re probably wondering how you fit everything if you can’t use the whole belt. Well, it can be challenging for smaller people or people with small waists. But it can be done.
Where to Place Your Duty Gear on Your Belt
Since the majority of people are right-handed, that’s the gear placement we’ll focus on.
Firearm
Your duty weapon and holster go on the right side of your gun belt in a place you can reach it naturally with your dominant hand. Then, you can place a belt keeper in front and one behind it. The belt keeper prevents it from moving during a struggle or movement like getting in and out of your patrol car.
Collapsible Baton
While you usually don’t want anything directly behind your firearm, that’s the best place for your baton. The reason is that you don’t want anything that prevents you from reaching your gun when you need it. The good news is that most baton cases keep the baton from moving and the belt keeper between the baton and firearm holster helps, too.
Portable Radio
Your portable radio may either clip onto your belt or rest in a holster on it. The best place for it is on the left side of your belt so you can reach it easily. That way, if your dominant hand is busy holding a suspect at gunpoint, you can reach your radio to call for assistance.
Nor Gal/Shutterstock.com
Tactical Flashlight
You likely have your large patrol flashlight and then a backup tactical flashlight on your duty belt. The best place for it is behind your radio on the left side. Some people place it in front of their radio—whatever works best for you.
Spare Magazines
Spare magazines are important to be able to reach if you find yourself in a shootout. The best place for them is towards the front of your gun belt on the left side. That way, you can make swift magazine changes so your firearm is always loaded.
OC Spray
Your OC spray can go behind your magazines on your left side. To ensure it’s easy to access, you can place a belt keeper in between your spray and magazine pouch. When placed here, you can easily reach it with your left hand without interfering with the use of your firearm.
Taser
To prevent you from grabbing your firearm instead of your taser, most officers place the taser towards the front on their left side, usually in front of your magazine pouch. This way, you can access it easily, but you won’t confuse it with your firearm on the right.
Key Ring/Keys
Some people use a key ring hook and others just hook their keys on a belt keeper. Either way, they can go on your right side. Some officers place them in the front on the right side, and others put them behind the baton.
Peter Titmuss/Shutterstock.com
Handcuffs
The best place for your cuff case is to the right of the buckle of your belt, mirroring where your magazine pouch is on the left. Some carry their cuffs on the rear of their belt near the small of the back, but as mentioned earlier, placing anything there is not ideal.
This article is just a general guideline for where to place your duty belt accessories and why these locations are the best. You may change this arrangement up a little bit after trial and error to see what works best for you. Over time, you’ll find the right places for your gear so that your belt is comfortable to wear and you can get to everything you need quickly.
