Duty Belt Set Up

[Penthrox]

Hi,

I am only new to the forums but I am a C.I.T (Cash in Transit) Officer and also an Armed Patrol Officer here in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. Our laws here sound very similar to some Provinces in Canada. One thing I am curious about is how certain officers set up their "Rig". Mine is unique to my company and I am the only one who carries cuffs on patrol. Please feel free to discuss what you carry/wear or any flaws in how mine is set up. This is my set up:

http://dl.xboxzone.com.au/image/penthrox/Duty_belt_1.jpg

(to get this to work just click the link, it will then say you do not have permission then click the link in the URL bar then press enter and it will work)

From Left to Right:
Safariland Double Mag Pouch (Second hand from Brother who is a PO), Uncle Mikes Open Top Cuff Pouch which carries Peerless Hinged Cuffs, Bianchi PatrolTek Swivel Radio Holder with Motorola GP 328 Radio (we have repeaters set up all over our patrol route. Supprisingly they work really well), Uncle Mikes Open Top Baton Holder which holds an ASP 21" Baton (Must be kept at work by law), Uncle Mikes D Cell Torch Holder, Uncle Mikes Closed Top Single Cuff Case which carries S&W Model 100 Cuffs, Ferno Single Glove Pouch, Uncle Mikes Closed Top Single Cuff Case which carries S&W Model 100 Cuffs, Uncle Mikes Pro 3 Retention Holster (I carry a Beretta 92FS, Compared to everyone else apart from my boss carry Glock 17I's), BlackHawk! LE Duty Gear Chem Agent MK3 Pouch which carries DYEWitness (Now in Australia apart from 1 state it is completely illegal to carry a spray that contains an irritant; such as pepper spray/fog/mace as it comes under the dangerous articles act. Now our batons and our firearms are both level 6 use of force options. Level 6 being lethal force. We had no other force options apart from open handed techniques, so the other officers I worked with all seeked another option and we came across DYEwitness which is a green foam that marks people with a green dye for upto 7 days for easy identification. So we went with that), Uncle Mikes Cordura 6P Sure Fire light case which holds a Surefire 6P, Sony Ericsson Sports Phone Case and a Zak Tools ZT 55 Key Ring Holder all on an Uncle Mikes Sidekick Duty Belt.

So yeah all my gear is my own I purchased it when I started up. Funny thing is I have better gear than our PO's except of STARgroup officers (South Aus Version of SWAT). So any comments please feel free

[GCMC Security]

First of all welcome aboard the forums. There have been a couple posts on this subject, feel free to check the search button. I have been to Australia once (many moons ago when I was in the service).

Second just out of curiousity am I correct in reading your post that you carry 3 sets of cuffs? Not that its a bad thing. When I worked a patrol service in michigan I carried 2 on my belt and had 3 more sets in my vehicle (only had to use more than my 2 sets once but glad that I had extra when I needed them)

I'm curious as to your 6 levels of Force. Would you perhaps go further into that? If you already have (this is the first post I have looked at tonight) disregard. We do have a couple SOs from Australia that do post and I am always interested in how other countries do business.

[Penthrox]

The six levels of force are:

Level 1: Physical Presence
Such as a uniformed officer maybe enough to modify a person's behaviour.

Level 2: Verbal Direction
Warning them of their actions and what it can lead too. We use 3 different techniques: REQUEST: ask them to do an action. DIRECT: Tell them with authority to do an action. COMMAND: Issuing them with authoritive commands.

Level 3: Control Techniques - Compliance - Open Hand Techniques
Using a physical level of force to remove the threat. Using wristlocks, gooseneck hold and others. You must maintain communication at all times with the person and only use the level of force required in order to control the situation as an absolute last resort.

Level 4: Techniques to cause Temporary Reflective Inhibition (Stunning) - Open Hand Techniques
Mechanical Control: Used when the person is not responding to control techniques and further action is required. Such as the impact or manipulation of nerve centres to temporarly dysfunction muscle groups in place of using strength maybe required. Note: Mechanical control does not mean the use of handcuffs.

Level 5: Chemical Sprays
This catagory refers directly to OC spray and Mace. These products fall under the catagory of prohibited articles under section 15 of the Summary Offences Act. The only spray officers are allowed to carry is DYEWitness with prior approval of the Firearms Branch of the South Australian Police Department.

Level 6: Batons, Firearm or Lethal Force
The highest force option is the use of deadly lethal force. Security should employ all other force options before lethal force is employed. The use of force must be in direct correlation to the situation. Lethal force generally refers to the use of Firearms in self defence, however lethal force levels can also be applied to using other types of techniques such as the carotic neck restraint (Sleeper hold) and use of a baton for striking options as this can strike the head and cause blunt force truama.


So that is the 6 levels of force that I must abide by. Yes I do carry 3 sets of cuffs on my plus I have a pair of Hiatts Chained in the car as a backup (my 3rd pair in 2 years. They are a backup pair for a reason) and 6 flexicuffs in the car also.

[N. A. Corbier]

Have you considered a double handcuff case, or two? You could carry four cuffs instead of three, for the space on your belt of two handcuffs.

To me, DyeWitness is silly. I would use Dyewitness at the first sign of "I am arresting this person" or "I am being attacked by this person" so they can be easily identified in case they escape.

Of course, over here, OC spray is around Level 3 or even Level 2, and batons are not considered the same as firearms.

[Lawson]

On my security duty belt, I carry a double cuff case and a single "bikini" cuff case (top of cuffs exposed). The way I have always seen it, if I need more than 3 sets of cuffs, backup better be enroute.

[Penthrox]

DYEWitness is all we have so it can be used to bluff your way out of situations. The few times I have used it freaks people out because they are unaware of what the substance is and normally flee.

I am interested in the sound of this "Bikini" case would anyone be able to link me to some? or tell me what company/ies make them?

Thanks Alot.

[davis002]

I am interested in the sound of this "Bikini" case would anyone be able to link me to some? or tell me what company/ies make them?

Thanks Alot.

I could be wrong, but I think this is what BHR Lawson is referring to:



That particular picture is the Gould & Goodrich (G&G) B85 Open Top Handcuff Case, and it ranges anywhere from $20-30 USD. G&G makes quite a few different styles of open top handcuff cases. Quite a few of the big brand names make open top handcuff cases, in both leather and nylon.

[N. A. Corbier]

DYEWitness is all we have so it can be used to bluff your way out of situations. The few times I have used it freaks people out because they are unaware of what the substance is and normally flee.

I am interested in the sound of this "Bikini" case would anyone be able to link me to some? or tell me what company/ies make them?

Thanks Alot.

You have one. Replace the two cuff cases with a double, and keep the open top case.

The only thing I've ever bluffed was "I have a K9, and the dog will bite you." Mainly because if you bluff with a weapon, someone may decide to call the bluff. "OC don't mean s- to me." Now what?

[Penthrox]

You have one. Replace the two cuff cases with a double, and keep the open top case.

The only thing I've ever bluffed was "I have a K9, and the dog will bite you." Mainly because if you bluff with a weapon, someone may decide to call the bluff. "OC don't mean s- to me." Now what?

If they call it I would spray them then use what tactics I could to get them down and secured or leave the situation. It is just another option we didnt have.

[Mall Director]

I personnaly carry a bikini style cuff case by Kinsco, but its a local brand and not brand name.. It ran me about $12. It is a single however, as I wear business attire..

My officers wear Duty Pro, which bites! The cuff cases are described as "single" but you can fit two sets in them. So they opt to wear four sets, as it is cheaper. I try to push them towards Bianchi, as the MK4 holders are aces and I require those. They do the nylon as it doesnt weigh as much.

As I stated before, Duty Pro makes gear cheaper, but it shows. I have never seen a nylon belt pill up before. And I dont like the lack of "accumold" this design has, as there is none, LOL. One peice at a time I am getting them to replace it out. I also like Biachi's silent key keepers. I never had one break yet!

[Lawson]

I could be wrong, but I think this is what BHR Lawson is referring to:



That particular picture is the Gould & Goodrich (G&G) B85 Open Top Handcuff Case, and it ranges anywhere from $20-30 USD. G&G makes quite a few different styles of open top handcuff cases. Quite a few of the big brand names make open top handcuff cases, in both leather and nylon.

Mine is more like this, but it is an HWC model.

[Charger]

HWC.... <shudder>

The company I did mall security for years ago issued HWC equipment... After seeing 2 or 3 of my SOs snap their cuffs in half, while trying to deholster them, I demanded that the company issue something of higher quality... They refused, of course... I carry Hiatts now..

Bianchi is the only way to go gearwise for me... Although my gun holster is a PRO-3 from Mikes.... Everything else is Accumold..

[Lawson]

Im not typically a fan of HWC gear. I originally needed a cuff case to wear on my civi's and did not want to use my double cuff case or a bulky leather case from my old belt. I wanted something a little more "sexy" So I went to the nearest gear shop looking for a Bianchi one. Unfortunately he had completely sold out so I was stuck with this... however, it has been quite a purchase. The case has served me well so far. (Been using it for about 9-10 months now.)

However, this thing is the exception, not the rule. ( The rest of my gear is Bianchi Accumold on a Dutyman belt)

[Apolo]

I use Bianchi as well, I like the way it looks and retains it's shape. Although it can be a bit expensive I would recommend picking it up, a piece at a time if you have to. I tend to think personally that looking professional is an important part of our image and cheap gear can sometimes take away from that, however what you may lack in equipment you can definetly make up for in attitude and professionalism. what you wear is only half of what people see.

[Mr. Security]

I worked unarmed, so I am not required to wear much on my belt. However, I can offer this advice from the past: Having a duty belt that is loaded with equipment might look great and provide plenty of options in any given situation. However, I prefer to have the lightest/minimum equipment on my belt. You can move quickly, whether it's exiting your vehicle or running after a suspect w/o having all that weight/equipment bouncing around on your hips or, even worse, falling out. If you have a lot of equipment and like the BDU look, I recommend the duty suspenders. You'll spend less time pulling up your pants.