LEO Recommended Gear

[Codyrgrs]

To all current, retired, reserve LEO personnel

Can anyone recommend some must have patrol gear for just starting out?
Boot brands, flashlights, patrol bags, multitools, aluminum clipboards, pen styles, etc

Made a career change early last year after the Covid events, just finished an academy last monthm Tcole certified and currently in the hiring process with an agency in the hill country.

Thanks for any info you can provide, leave links in comments if possible.

[chicken fried]

Lowa are awesome boots. Email them from your agencies email and they will give you a discount. Streamlite flashlight, quality carbine, I prefer Glock pistols-they work, tourniquets 3-4 and know how to use them. Latex gloves and eye protection. That’s all I can think of right now.

[DFWPI]

Before you go and spend a lot of money, you should see what is all provided to you by the agency. The agency I worked at for 25-years provided all listed above except for footwear.

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[Chew]

It's easy to spend a lot of money on crap that you end up not using. I would take it slow, see what the other guys are using that you work with, and get some recommendations. metal clipboards were a big deal when I started in the early nineties because the reports were handwritten and you had to keep tons of forms with you. everything is computerized now so it's more about note taking than it is filling out forms.

There are lots of good boots out there. Obviously it's better if you can go somewhere and try them on but you may not be able to depending on your location. I've had Rockies, danner, thorogood, bates. They've all been pretty decent.

personally I think streamlight has been left behind in the flashlight game but it's been a while since I've owned one of those. Since I've been in investigations for the last 15 years or so I've kind of got left behind on the gear game since I'm more worried about how my tie is knotted. [emoji16]

[Jon B]

The simple things matter a lot. Good ink pens. I use the zebra stainless steel ones. Streamlight flashlights. I used to carry an SL20 in the car and a stinger on my belt. Pretty much have switched to the stinger only. I'm a Glock man firearm wise. If it's a smaller agency you will probably be buying a lot of your own stuff. If you have any questions about specific gear pm me.

[Blane]

We are currently wearing Salomon's and they have been holding up well. We wear green boots though so not sure they come in black, and if they do, if they can be shined, which may be a requirement by the agency. I am a Glock fan as well. Would recommend a full size on the hip and a baby version on your off hand ankle. Carry a TQ and as mentioned it know how to apply it. I wear High Speed Gear with a Blue Force inner belt. Expensive but seems to be holding up well. Some departments will allow you buy your own belt, some want everyone to look the same with agency issued gear.

[J-Carp]

Before you go and spend a lot of money, you should see what is all provided to you by the agency. The agency I worked at for 25-years provided all listed above except for footwear.

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I would take this advice right here, mostly.

I would buy a tourniquet for yourself to carry on your person. Either on your belt or I carry mine in my cargo pocket.

A back up flashlight. Streamlight has been the standard for a long time. I have a O light that I like a lot. Something small you can carry in a pocket. Again I carry mine in my cargo pocket.

I never use a clip board, I get pens, note pads, batteries, bug spray, sun screen and latex gloves from the pd.

A little latex glove carrier for your belt if you have room isn’t a bad idea. A “nice” handcuff key. I put it in quotes because they are like 5$.

If you need to supply your own pistol light get a streamlight HL1. They are about 100$, I found mine for like 90$ on sale. You can buy an expensive sure fire in a few years if you want. No need to spend the extra money on it right now, I have both and actually like the streamlight better on my pistol.

I just bought my first pair or Viktos boots and have been happy. Buy direct and they give a hearty discount. ~80$ for a nice boot.

Grab a pair of cheap work gloves from Home Depot for mainly cold weather but also times of extra needed grip. Nothing too thick, think about having to shoot while wearing them.

Some things to think about after you get settled is a rifle, your own plate carrier with extra mags and maybe a small med kit. Extra mags or some mag extensions.

Don’t waste money on write in the rain crap or rain gear in general. Even with it on you’ll get wet. Embrace the suck and carry on.

BUY YOU A NICE METAL WATER BOTTLE AND CARRY IT EVERYDAY. You will go down on a hot day.

Keep a complete extra uniform at work including socks and underwear. When you “wear out” your first set of boots, keep those at work as back up. Also be able to shower at work. People are nasty.

Bravo concealment is good for plain clothes/off duty carry.

You’re gonna get a lot of “recommendations” and you’ll prolly notice a big in them. A lot of that depends on if you’re gonna be a sheriff or city cop. A sheriff tends to need more crap cause they are often on their own most of the time.

Good luck.

[Crookhunter]

GOOD TRAINING.....When it comes to equipment, see what your agency approves, etc. I prefer to go light when it comes to gear. You'll find out quickly that the more gear you carry (ammo/mags, etc) gets hard on the back and it is much easier to run and use force in slick gear rather than look like an operator while on patrol.

Now when it comes to equipment, cheap sunglasses and watches, because you will break them in a scuffle or lose them in patrol car, foot pursuit, etc. I prefer to have my PD issued streamlight and one extra small flashlight on my belt. Knife(quality), on my off side pocket not accessible on my kit where a suspect can grab it easy.

I carry a med kit in my Soft armor and a TQ on my holster.

Did I mention train and stay in shape.

[Jon B]

Can't second the hydration enough. I worked a blue collar job for years before I became an LEO, that first summer I almost died because I wasn't drinking enough.

[glen]

Dont spend alot of cash. Go get a plastic milk crate or two to carry your patrol gear. Dont spend $200 of a taticool organizer. Find out what you need. Wait and buy stuff from the guys that gotta have latest and greatest taticool stuff. Buy from them for pennies on the dollar. I always wore RedWing ropers on patrol

[TxKronik]

I used bates boots mine were always waterproof and steel toe or safety toe.

[Ætheling]

Go Federal and you get issued EVERYTHING free. Plus annual allowances. Never spent a penny of my own money. That goes for ammo and weapons as well.

[CWendling]

21 years patrol/K9. Like others, I would wait to see what the dept provides. What they likely wont is gloves/boots, more than 1 flashlight, and extra tourniquets. I like the 5.11 Storm boots, but most important, get waterproof boots if you dont like cold wet feet. I search a lot of cars and have found that camelback gloves hold up the best and still have good tactile quality for grabbing/shooting. I like peerless cuffs, and i always have at least 1 TQ on my person and 2 flashlights (stinger size and pen light)

[mechhead]

LEO Recommended Gear

Lots of items mentioned. I’d add seatbelt cutter and a window punch.

[texglocker]

Are You going to be working in a city or County as it makes a difference. Find out what you will be issued before you spend money. A good multi tool leatherman or Gerber, good boots, darn tuff socks, aluminum water bottle(I keep a gallon rtic full in my patrol truck), tourniquets and first aid kit, depending on what you need I may have some extra duty belt holsters laying around you’d be welcome to.