One of the most important tools all police officers have is their duty belt. While one could argue that some of the items in the belt are more vital than others, if an officer can’t quickly and easily access these crucial items, they won’t be very useful to them. That’s why those who use these belts need to be very particular about how they organize them.

Even though there’s technically no wrong way to put together your duty belt, there’s certainly a format that is the most ideal for general use. If you’re new to the force or haven’t heard about this layout before, this post on how to properly set up your law enforcement duty belt is just for you. By the end of this guide, we’re positive that you’ll feel much better about the location of all your gear.

Ideal Gear Positions

Before we get into the best positions for your duty belt gear, we want to point out that your belt might look a bit different from someone else’s, depending on your dominant hand. Because of that, we will refer to each side of the belt as dominant or non-dominant, not left or right.

Handcuffs

Let’s start off with the front placement on your dominant side. The first thing you’ll want to include here is your handcuffs. Since this is such a crucial piece of equipment for all law enforcement officers, you’ll want them to be front and center. That way, you can easily access them with both hands. When you need to cuff someone, you need to do it quickly, and putting your cuffs in this position will make that possible.

If you have a second pair of handcuffs, which many officers do, you can simply put another handcuff pouch on the rear of your belt. You likely won’t need instant access to these. However, some handcuff pouches can hold two sets, so be sure to look into those if you would like faster access to the second pair as well.

Firearm

Next up is your personal firearm. Most officers already have this in the correct spot on their duty belts. It’s best to carry your handgun on the hip of your dominant side. This will make the process of grabbing it very fluid.

However, not all firearm holsters attach directly to the duty belt; some get strapped to the officer’s leg. If that’s the kind you prefer, make sure you still leave space on your belt for your holster. Placing items on your dominant hip can get in the way of your gun, making it harder to grab at a moment’s notice.

Baton

Behind your firearm holster should be a holster for your baton, if you carry one. Typically, a police officer won’t need to have their baton and gun out at the same time, so putting this item close to your dominant hand will place it in the ideal location. Another option is to mount on your non-dominant side with a cross draw approach to retrieving the baton.

Keys

The final essential item you should keep on your dominant side is your keys. While quick access to these usually isn’t critical, the duty belt is the best place for them. Fumbling around in your pockets for keys can severely slow you down while in pursuit. Plus, they could fall out of your pocket at any point. Keeping them on the back of the dominant side of your belt will ensure they don’t get in your way when reaching for other items and makes them harder to lose since the belt key holder will lock them into position.

Extra Mags

Starting at the front of your non-dominant side, the first thing you should have is your extra magazines. Even though you want to avoid a firefight at all costs, you should still be prepared for instances where situations do escalate. Keeping your extra mags front and center will make grabbing them for a quick reload much easier. On top of that, you can reach over with your other hand to pick one up if the need arises.

OC Spray/Taser

Since lethal force isn’t an option an officer ever wants to take, it’s always a good idea to carry a non-lethal option like OC spray or a taser. Whether you have one or both of these items, you’ll want them to be on your non-dominant side right next to your extra mags.

Some law enforcement officials like to put these items on their dominant side since it’ll allow for easier access to these deterrents. However, this could lead to accidental confusion with a firearm when split-second decision-making is a necessity. Forcing an officer to get accustomed to cross-drawing these items or using them with their non-dominant hand will stop this type of mixup from happening.

Radio

The next item on the non-dominant side should be the officer’s radio. Calling incidents in or requesting backup are actions that a cop might have to take at any point. Doing this with your non-dominant hand is quite easy, though, so keeping the radio far on that side of the duty belt should never present a problem.

Flashlight

Finally, on the backside of the non-dominant half of the belt, we have the flashlight. In many situations, this is one of the first items an officer will need to pull out when approaching a location. You need to be ready for anything when using it, and keeping your dominant hand free is critical. Keeping the flashlight on your non-dominant side will help you get used to using it with that hand.

Where To Put Other Equipment

Of course, there are plenty of other pieces of equipment that an officer may carry at any given time. The location for most of these items isn’t as crucial, so you can typically place them wherever you like. Since there is usually a big gap between the handcuffs and firearm, many officers place extra gear there, but you can put additional equipment anywhere you find space.

However, you must keep in mind that you need to balance your belt at all times. A duty belt that’s significantly heavier on one side than the other will feel awkward and slow you down. While we don’t recommend changing the location of any of the key items mentioned above, it is okay to do so if you need to fix the balance of your belt.

Where To Get Your Belt and Gear

Now that you understand how to set up your law enforcement duty belt properly, it’s time to figure out where you’ll get all the attachments you plan on adding to the belt. Chances are, you have many of them already, but if you are missing several pieces or it’s time to replace older items, you should check out our online store.

Here at AAA Police Supply, we have all the police duty belt accessories you could ever need. From pouches to equipment, we have it all. Accessing your gear on the fly will never be easier than when you’re using the gear offered through our site.