Load outs

[jacobmuller]

A few years ago, real life Loadouts were a thing on ttd forum. I remember asking about what equipment our LEOs carried, not covered by any security/secrecy, aside from the firearm.
The reply I got was a long letter that basically said "belt". Hilarious.
This is a current, public, Twitter post. I'd love to hear suggestions as to what all that gear is.
https://twitter.com/PSNIANDistrict/s...800648193?s=19
I mean, is that a compass? Does he have pepper spray? What's that big front pouch?

[clu2415]

Leftmost guy has something holstered in front of his service pistol. I’m guessing it’s a pepper ball launcher. They all have batons. I don’t see leftmost guy’s handcuffs. Guy third from left has pepper spray on his vest. Also has something orange holstered on his left side behind the baton. Could be a stun gun/taser or pepper spray. Lady second from left has something holstered behind her baton as well, but I just see black. Guy on the right may have pepper spray under his left hand.

I would guess that the square pouches are supplies for interacting with suspects. Exam/frisking gloves, Miranda rights card, maybe a field drug test?

[Anaraxes]

I have no personal experience with police gear, so take everything herein with a grain of salt.

Bulletproof vest, of course, with whatever they like to call tactical load-bearing webbing/attachment points these days.

The round thing on the right-hand two is looks like a pouch for handcuffs.

Upper left or right, squarish, with the yellow label, is probably a bodycam. (And mike. Don't the UK police require that yellow "video & audio" label on their body cams?)

Left-hand two look like they have mobile phone cases left of the central pouch.

Sometimes a pouch is just a pouch. It carries stuff. What stuff? Whatever they're likely to need. Zip ties, gloves, tissue. Maybe first aid, but that's probably elsewhere. Maybe additional magazines, but I don't know how many cops are really going to pack a lot of ammo.

Right of the pouch is the radio, with the ovalish handset above it.

Leftmost officer looks to have pepper spray. The woman next to him has a couple of pouches, which again could be almost anything. Maybe an actual cop might recognize one. I'll guess at least one of them has a multitool or pocketknife in their personal "custom" gear (possibly the small sheath on the right-most officer.)

On the left, a collapsible baton.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

I'll guess at least one of them has a multitool or pocketknife in their personal "custom" gear (possibly the small sheath on the right-most officer.)

.

Any officer on a force that uses zipties should have a sturdy pocketknife capable of severing zipties. It's the only way to get subjects out of zipties and sometimes it may be necessary for safety or health reasons. It'd be a major legal liability issue if a subject in your custody came to harm because no one could get him out of a ziptie.

[jacobmuller]

It's surprising how different their gear is - very personalised. Just realised she even has a different hat - weird.
Hadn't thought of a search kit. Might even the controversial spit hood.
I might try googling image extracts for the bits I can't identify - should get hilarious results.
Thank you.

[jacobmuller]

On closer look
All have Glock19* + vest
Extras, left to right:
1st
Blue field hat badge
Walkie
Bodycam
Mobile
Mystery pouch (?)
Truncheon
Pepper spray
Widget (?)
2nd
Black Field Hat Badge
Why is she wearing a different hat? (possibly "gender neutral" - at least that's what a GB police service are using it for, gender "transitioning officers may find it more comfortable")
Extras as 1st but no visible pepper spray.
*May actually have a .357mag revolver as she appears to have a speedloader pouch.
3rd
BFHB
Handcuff & pepperspray on vest.
His truncheon's butt is so chipped I thought it was a compass.
No Widget?
4th
BFHB
Cuffs on vest
No mystery pouch
Truncheon in speed draw position?

If I bump in to any on the street I'll have to ask about the pouch & widget (magnetic key?).
Can't even get an answer to
Are BFHB community policing, ie unpaid volunteers?
Probably need to send a letter

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Any officer on a force that uses zipties should have a sturdy pocketknife capable of severing zipties. It's the only way to get subjects out of zipties and sometimes it may be necessary for safety or health reasons. It'd be a major legal liability issue if a subject in your custody came to harm because no one could get him out of a ziptie.

If movies have taught me anything, pretty much all officers will have a sturdy pocketknife, for cutting open secret compartments, cutting open bags of illicit drugs (after which they'll invariably taste it, as that is well-accepted as the most appropriate method of on-the-scene identification of an unknown substance), disarming bombs (a skill every beat cop knows, naturally), etc.

More seriously, though, a good knife is extremely useful for anyone who doesn't just follow the same simple routine every day, and with the highly-variable situations an officer may find him or herself in, this goes double. Have someone trapped in their vehicle by a non-cooperative seatbelt? Knife. Abused dog getting choked by a too-tight collar? Knife. Attempted suicide via hanging? Knife. Kidnapping victim bound with rope, tape, and/or zipties (it's not just the cops that use those)? Knife. Need to remove part of a person's clothing to be able to render life-saving first-aid before the paramedics can arrive? Knife.

Originally Posted by The Colonel

My note above about the British police not being routinely armed may not apply in Ulster. It certainly didn't use to, but the peace process may have changed that.

It certainly looks like they're armed with pistols of some flavor. The guy who is second from the right very clearly looks to be armed, the guy on the left looks to also have similar but there's something in front that's attached to a lanyard and has a red button on it... pepper spray, maybe? The lady looks similarly armed, although in her case the weapon is rather obscured by her hand, the Queen's Baton (I presume that's the thing she's holding), and some pouches. The (slightly-blurry) guy on the far right has the area his weapon would be holstered completely obscured by the combination of his hand and the arm of the guy next to him.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by Varyon

It certainly looks like they're armed with pistols of some flavor.

The important thing here is that unless they're the equivalent of SWAT officers, even armed police downplay the fact that they're strapped. Compare the picture above to pictures of some U.S. police. Their holsters are designed and mounted so they're not as conspicuous and don't get caught on things rather than being optimized for fast draw. Maybe a retention holster with a top flap? The flap would be useful at keeping out the wet.

The "semi-concealed carry" theme could be carried over into carrying spare clips in that big pouch on the chest rather than in distinctive cases worn on the belt.

[RGTraynor]

Originally Posted by Varyon

More seriously, though, a good knife is extremely useful for anyone who doesn't just follow the same simple routine every day, and with the highly-variable situations an officer may find him or herself in, this goes double. Have someone trapped in their vehicle by a non-cooperative seatbelt? Knife. Abused dog getting choked by a too-tight collar? Knife. Attempted suicide via hanging? Knife. Kidnapping victim bound with rope, tape, and/or zipties (it's not just the cops that use those)? Knife. Need to remove part of a person's clothing to be able to render life-saving first-aid before the paramedics can arrive? Knife.

Hell yeah. For over thirty years now, I go everywhere (everywhere they'll let me, anyway) with the same Swiss Army knife. It's held up very well over the decades.

[Donny Brook]

I can't say for the photograph, but typical modern police loadout might include:

-body camera,
-sidearm,
-extra magazine(s)
-taser,
-capsicum system of some kind,
-baton of some kind,
-radio/walkie,
-cell phone,
-flashlight(s)
-hand cuffs and/or plastic restraints,
-rubber gloves,
-face mask,
-sharp-protect 'frisk' gloves,
-multi-tool or multi-use pocket knife,
-evidence bags,
-very basic first aid kit,
-pen and notebook,
-citation forms,
-naxolone (anti-overdose) kit, and
-extra batteries.