Help a rookie setup his gear?

[Franky]

Hi all , I originally joined this forum for advice before the Academy and finished up on Dec. 13th. I started training this week and really only have my ticketbook, a formholder and my normal duty gear. The guys on my Dept. bring Galls streetpro bag out on the road with them but they all have various stuff in them.
I was hoping I could be enlightened as to what might be smart to carry in mine. I am a trained first responder, with Defib Certification etc, and plan on being hands on as much as possible. Any advice appreciated..thanks. Franky

[Niteshift]

Welcome Franky.

This thread is being moved to the Rookie Corner.

[jeeper]

Keep a supply of any/all forms you will need for your duties. These will definately make your job simpler and make things go much quicker on the street. And should be considered basic info. ex: extra citations (traffic, municipal, etc.), domestic abuse paperwork, OWI/DUI paperwork, booking forms, statute book, i've also taken excerpts of info from the street survival books and keep that, flip books/flash cards with pertinent info for your area. also consider: spare ammo/magazines for your weapons, spare radio/flashlight batteries, fixed blade knife.

Since you mentioned your EMS training, anything you find your dept.'s issued first-aid is lacking you could consider adding to your gear bag.

I've seen, in addition to a "squad bag", people use a set-up referred to as a "crash bag". This is a bag containing the flashlight/radio batteries, pistol magazines, shotgun ammo, rifle/carbine magazines, EMS stuff relevant to gunshots/stab wounds, fixed blade knife. Usually a large hip pack for hiking or a small backpack can contain all of these items and make it readily available to grab as you go. Although, I can see why many people may not want to go with something like this or even if some departments would preclude their officers from doing this.

[Niteshift]

The longer I'm a cop, the less first aid stuff I carry.

[cajuncop]

You'll be surprised at how officers don't carry enough equipment with them.

Besides the norm, I carry my State Statutes, PPCT manual to help in the wording of my reports when force is used. I also carry evidence containers for collection.

[TinStar]

Yo Franky,

Pack for the Iwo Jima invasion if you want. I travel light. #2 pencil (mechanical preferred), a fist full of report forms, clip board or fancy "Posse Box," flashlight, Tums and a roll of TP, for the rare emergency. Alcohol wipes might not be a bad idea for when the drunks want to bleed on ya. Stick a couple in your pocket.

As a rule of thumb. If what you bring with you cannot be carried under one arm or in pockets, you have too much.

(Note: Tums can be omitted by popping a Zantac 75, Ranitidine tab, prior to briefing)

Good luck.

[ateamer]

Well, this is what I carry:
-Large duffle bag containing Posse Box, Polaroid Spectra camera kit, laptop computer, ticket book, binder containing major policies, maps, procedural memos and investigative resource references, fingerprint kit, evidence packaging materials, Leatherman tool, 3/8" wrench (spotlight tightening), three or four pair of handcuffs, shackles, spit mask, deodorizer spray, hand sanitizer, spare rubber gloves, CPR mask and a couple plastic trash bags (for found bodyparts - yes, had that kind of call more than once).

[ 01-04-2002: Message edited by: ateamer ]

[Niteshift]

Let me put it this way........... seat organizer and Street Pro bag up front......multiple bags in the trunk, tool kit, 2 boxes of crime scene stuff and a box of reports.

Then there are the guns in the trunk :D

[TIGGY]

The day I decide not to carry something on patrol, and I s@#! can it is the day I need it. When it comes to duty belt: Everything on your belt is considered a weapon for the BG.

Like I tell my traniees: "Gun, cuffs, portable and car radio, note pad, reports, tix book, and plenty of ink" Cops for many years before us have done a fine job with those tools alone. First 1 year or so you will realize what equipment you need and don't need. My car looks like a space ship with all the stuff they give us. I asked when will I get my little red wagon to carry all my stuff from the car to the scene?

Lot of these tools and gadgets are great but don't forget about the basics of police work that your mouth and a savy tounge with some common sense are your best "gear" for patrol.

[FLLawdog]

What you use, purchase and carry in your carry will vary greatly depending on all sorts of factors. What is issued by the department? What type of area do you work? What are some of your more unusual equipment needs? Do you have a take home, or will you have to swap equipment from your POV to your P-Car?

The key is to get the stuff and set it up so that you know where it is at all times and can get to it when you need it. This is as true for your reports as it is for your firearm.

At the minimum I learned to have a bunch of metal clipboards. I have two cruiser mates. One is for crash reports and the other is for all other reports. I also have two Saunders Style A. One is for complaint affidavits and State Attorney Referral cards and the other is for driver's exchange forms. I also have citation holders for my UTC's, FI cards and alarm reports.

For the trunk, flip top bins and Rubbermaid lock top boxes are invaluable. You can put all your stuf in them and it keeps it halfway organized, safe and somewhat clean. It also makes easy if you have to swap cars.

Front of the car. Keep in mind that a body in motion tends to stay in motion until acted upon by an outside force. Think about worse case scenario and what, if anything, will come back at you in the case of hard braking or impact. Keep stuff out of the airbag path.

I'm lucky and have a take home car. I had one of those cheap plastic magazine holders you get from the office supply section of Wal Mart wire tied to my screen. This held one of the Style A's and a couple "cheat books" I assembled for report writing and phone numbers. I had a Pro-Guard seat organizer with other stuff like flashlight cone, steno pad, Cruiser Mate, hand sanitizer, sunglass cleaning stuff and other odds and ends. I had a small "milk crate"(like 6"X9") attached to the back of my console for the citation holders.

Almost all of the stuff in my trunk was issued. Polaroid cameras(regular and Spectra), jumper cables, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, fingerprint kit and a box of evidence equipment like bags, tape and crime scene barrier.

You'll learn real quick by talking to the guys on your shift what special stuff may be required to make your job easier and safer. This may all sound somewhat ambiguous, but there really are a bunch of factors to consider. Good luck to you!

[Franky]

Thanks for all the ideas guys I appreciate it. I guess I will get the bare minimum for now and like most of you said, see what else arises as I gain experience. I definitely can grab a few things listed above that I didn't think of. Thanks again...Franky

[Sparky]

I really liked the old seat organizer I had. It was the hard plastic with the hooks to sling over your passenger seat. It kept my forms holder, ticket holder, traffic vest, pocket dictionary, statute book, and a folder with reports and forms that I used alot. I also kept some Tums, a small first aid kit with band aids and stuff (for me and my boo-boos). Lets see, some rubber gloves, and I think that is about it.

If it looked like rain, I threw rain gear in the trunk.

I'll ditto the advice above, If you can't carry it under one arm or with one hand, then it's probably too much. HOWEVER, this really depends on where you work and what your needs are. If you feel like you need it, then go for it. And if it works for you, then use it.

[That Guy]

The only advice is:

SEE NIGHTSHIFT's REPLY ABOVE
Thats it in a nut shell. That way if you do not have a home car like my dept you can move your gear with out to much pain.

Good luck.

That Guy

[Niteshift]

"I had one of those cheap plastic magazine holders you get from the office supply section of Wal Mart wire tied to my screen."

I did that on my old patrol car. I used it to put completed paperwork in so I'd remember all of it for turn in and not end up screwing it up with coffee, heavy objects or note taking on the fly.

[tcsd1236]

Better than have it and not need it than need it and not have it. The deputies who pride themselves on travelling light inevitably wind up turning to me for stuff on calls. They are only deluding themselves.
As for moving stuff back and forth from the POV to the marked unit; I carry everything in two bags and it takes less than a couple of minutes to move it around. I spend more time than that figuring out what six CD's I'm gonna pop into the player to listen to that day......

[Mikey911]

Post deleted by Don as Mikey is NOT a sworn officer.

<small>[ 09-09-2002, 11:21 PM: Message edited by: Don ]</small>

[Jabba]

My patrol vehicle is a 4dr F-150 and has a cd player in it. I never used to use it, but I had just served a warrant on a character out in the county who had been real cooperative with me. I get in the truck get rolling back to town and turn on the radio, and it is my lucky day, they are playing "I Fought the Law and the Law Won". The guy in cage went ballistic and I needed two jail deputies to help calm him down when I got into town. Never saw that coming, but now I make sure I have an innocuous CD of some sort playing when I transport, just so something doesn't accidentally set them off. I know some of you may think that sounds kind of wussy, but I try to treat anyone I arrest with as much respect as possible, and they usually return the favor. They still get cuffed behind the back and ride back in the cage, but it makes repeat customers a lot easier to deal with. :p