Like Batman, an officer’s duty belt is full of gadgets that can save lives and quickly stop threats to public safety. There’s your gun, handcuffs, baton, flashlight, Taser and more depending on your agency, position and jurisdiction. But how often do you train with or practice using your gear? In the On The Job column in the upcoming February 2014 issue of Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement, author Chad Thompson discusses some components to consider when it comes to gear placement on your duty belt.

Thompson’s first priority: Your pistol. He writes, “the gun is the most serious implement on the belt and, if needed, the one item that simply has to be available in a nanosecond. For almost every application in law enforcement, the service handgun should be located on the shooting-side hip at the normal belt line of the officer. The draw must be unimpeded and needs to be a hand and arm motion only—not something involving the shoulders or the entire upper part of the body. Simply put, the officer needs to be able to complete the draw without moving anything except the hands and arms. There are too many varieties of holsters and holster accessories to get into which one does what better, but suffice it to say that, with so many variations available, there is no excuse for contorting the body during a drawstroke.”

To learn more, check out the February 2014 issue of Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement, available on newsstands and digitally November 26, 2013. To subscribe, go to https://www.tactical-life.com/subscribe.