All,
What are some gear recommendations you wish someone would have made when you first started your law enforcement career that made a big difference in your day to day lives?

Good flashlight, good clip board, and a good pair of boots. Dont go crazy buying shit right off the bat. Get a year or two experience before you start buying gizmos to really figure out if you'll need it or its going to take up space in your patrol bag.

Thank you Sir

Agreed^^^^^ 30 years on the Chicago police dept. Get a good fucking flashlight. If you are able to use it as a batton by your dept. so much the better.

12 years on the job. there is nothing in the world that is worse than needing a light and not having one or not having something to write on.

Good flashlights cannot be underestimated as well as a good "working" folding knife.  As in a knife that is ONLY for work.

I have a knife I use for me to cut apples, and clean my nails and whatnot (usually an SAK) and one I use to cut things with or touch and poke things with when necessary.

Flashlight is a must.

I would add, if you don't have a second set of cuffs, get them now and see if you can get them on the duty belt.

Gloves, whether it is gloves for searching people or general work, consider a good set of gloves.  Some don't like "search gloves", but some good gloves you can use for doing heavy shit like changing tires, working accident scenes or grabbing when you know you are gonna be climbing some fences, gates or climbing through a window are very nice to have.

Cheap pens, like the packs from the dollar store.  If you hand them out, there are some people you wont want them back from.  Get some that you can count on not coming back.

A pocket business card holder.  Mine is a bi fold type, my cards on one side and my Miranda card on the other side.   You can never go wrong reading Miranda in whatever form your agency uses when a signed form version is not available or practical.  Read it and if it comes up at depos, motion to suppress hearings or even a trial, "I read them Miranda from the card I carry, here it is".

Training. All the cool guy gear doesn't work worth a damn if you don't know how to use it. Departments don't usually supply enough training. Get your own if you must. Set aside some money over time for extra training. Volunteer to go to every training event you can and when you go to training, you are there to train...Not to drink and party.

Fitness and health.  A substantial cause of deaths of cops is heart attacks. Staying healthy and fit will make you far more likely to have a long and healthy career. If you do get injuried, a fit person has more blood volume than a non fit person.

Good luck!

Thank you all very much for all the input. I am going to start with the flashlight search. Anyone have recommendations as to a good sturdy (and bright) flashlight?

Clipboard, alright, got it..I would assume a good metal one because I’d have to imagine those “fiber/composite” types will deteriorate quickly with use, especially if water/humidity is introduced.

Pens - understood. Throw away bic types

Knife - I carry a CRKT M16-14 (assisted open/ with serrations for cutting - always open to suggestions on knives)

Gloves - I’m tracking. Something poke proof? Or are we talking about something like the mechanic gloves - something you won’t mind getting jacked up? (Suggestions always welcome).

Business card holder. Have one. Good to go.

Training - makes sense, will start the process of shopping for additional trainings to take on off hours. Can’t ever learn enough.

Physical fitness - I’m a regular at the gym, need to work more cardio into the mix...bows a good a time as any.

Chicago, that’s where I was born and raised. Actual Chicago - not like Skokie, Lincolnwood, etc lol
Good advice. Thank you very much.

All, thank you very much for your input. I know you all have lives outside of here and really appreciate the time (regardless of how long) it took to post a response. I am going to get to work on this list. Thanks again and stay safe.

Streamlight stinger for your belt, and whatever flavor of small light for back up in your pocket. Please carry two flashlights, especially when you are on nights. Use the stinger as your primary light, tuck it under your non gunside arm so you can keep both hands free.

A good sturdy metal clip board you can pick up at any cop shop. You will forget it on the hood/roof/trunk of your shop and when you pull off it will hit the pavement. Mine is 10 years old and while it's beat to hell and looks like crap, it still works. Avoid the plastic ones. Ive seen a few flurries of paperwork blowing in the breeze.

There are so many options for gloves out there pick whatever you like. As a matter of fact buy several pairs. Dont be that guy that is too emotionally invested in his gloves, once they start getting worn and tattered throw them away. The poke proof gloves are cool, but I havent felt the need for them. When your searching a car, dont put your hand where you haven't looked. Same with pat downs and searching pockets, dont go blindly feeling around. Look at what your doing.

Yes to training, find as much as you can even if it's out of pocket. I know I'm probably going to catch grief for this on a gun forum, but dont just focus on the cool schools. Everybody wants to take the latest and greatest gunfighter school or wants to be the next Don Johnson and take every interdiction/dope class they can. I get it, but take a damn report writing/english class. You might be the best dope hound to ever grace the streets, but if your reports are shit you're going to have a bad day on the stand or the slam dunk case you though you had is going to blow up in your face. Hint, the better reports you write the less you will have to go to court since that defense attorney is going to do everything he can to get his client to take a plea. How about a family violence investigation class? We deal with that shit every damn day yet no one wants to go to a class on it because we all hate dealing with it. Dont just take the stuff that you think is cool, find stuff that will make you better at all aspects of the job.

Please maintain some level of physical fitness. You owe it to yourself and the guys and gals on your shift. If you are lucky enough to work at one of those unicorn departments that give you time to workout on shift, please take advantage of it. If not, yes i know it sucks having to either get up early or stay late to work out, suck it up and do it anyway. Im lucky enough the department has a decent workout room, so two hours before shift im in there sweating my ass off pushing around the weights or on the tread mill. If your department doesnt have a gym, either look at a gym membership or even just doing pushups situps and run for free. You're going to be chasing and fighting Dude who is wearing basketball shorts and shoes while wearing a full uniform and gear over fences and shit in a neighborhood he knows like the back of his hand, put some of the odds in your favor.

TankerrobM1A1

On the subject of gloves that I brought up:

Search gloves (puncture resistant) are very subjective to whether you like the extra protection or feel that it inhibits your ability to feel things while you search.  There are pros and cons on each side.

I keep two pairs of gloves in my car.

One is a set of military leather and nomex armored crewman gloves that work as winter gloves for me.

The other is a 15 dollar set of work gloves that I got from Home Depot a couple years ago.  They are thick nylon with a suede palm and finger/thumb panel on the palm side of the glove and knuckle protection on the back side of the glove.   I use these gloves for situations like MVA's when someone is still in the car, when getting out on calls where a suspect may be hiding and you may be climbing/jumping over stuff or crawling through windows or into spots looking for them (like warrant services and area searches for suspects), vehicle repairs (changing one of my tires), clearing roadways of debris (like after storms or in my case the occasional hurricane) and such.

Agree 100%. Shooting is a tiny portion of this job.

One of the schools I went to years ago was crisis negotiation. I didn't want to be a negotiator. I wanted to be able to get better at talking to people. I use those skills I learned there all the time.

I have hundreds of hours of interview schooling. It wasn't all exciting training. But, it made me better in my day to day job. You may never use your weapon in 30 years in law enforcement. You WILL interview someone nearly every day of your career as a patrol officer or detective (if you don't you are a do nothing officer)

Bingo.

I really want to take a negotiation class. I definitely dont want to be a negotiator, but i can easily see how it would help me out on the street. Im on my agency's tac team, our last few standoffs have ended because guys on perimeter both swat and patrol were the ones that established communication with suspect and talked them out or we gassed them out.

Still doesnt mean those skills wont be useful in a one on one contact in the hood at 2 in the morning talking dude into handcuffs.

And make sure you carry a flashlight ON YOUR DUTY BELT!

ETA: get  a light that has an easy to find 'on' button, whether it be a tail clicky or button on the side.

Specialized training - communication/negotiation can do.

We are talking classroom style right? Or is there a specialized Law Enforcement form of training geared towards situations often encountered on the streets?

I have been thinking about getting into BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) I  have a background of Tae Kwon Do and CKM (Commando Krav Maga).

Physical fitness - understood. I hit the gym daily, for 2 hours of lifting (not texting and selfies lol) I know I have to increase cardio, but the understanding /premise of staying fit is already ingrained.

Gear

Gloves - I’ll try a bunch on and see what allows for a good mix of protection and usability. (Don’t fall in love with gear)

High power, durable, attachable flashlight, easy to find/manipulate on/off switch.

Thanks again all, more info is always welcome and appreciated.

Maybe we can get the admins to make this a sticky thread so other newbies can use it as a jump off point.

Small flashlight to look into small things, the big ones get very bulky when looking under seats and peoples pockets

Cheap crappy knife you won't give a shit about.... honestly you probably wont need to buy one as you'll just get them off arrestee's anyways

I use baseball batting gloves instead of the big bulky gloves which are labeled "search gloves".

two sets of cuffs

cuff key pen, not the small tiny ones that come with handcuffs.... they suck anyways

If you can have an external carrier, learn to take as much off your belt as possible.... your knees and back will thank you later.

On the topic of training, check what is available through the agency once you're settled.  In my state the Criminal Justice Standard and Training Commission (who oversees the state basic recruit training and advanced/specialized training) has a pretty good mix of classes.  They are put on at the various regional training centers throughout the year.  So it's a good place to start for a good broad section of training for topics such as basic narcotics identification, interviews and interrogations, intoxilyzer operator, speed measurement, injury and death investigations, tactical narcotic operations, field training officer and the instructor certification and certifications for instructing such skills firearms, defensive tactics, EVOC and so on.  In our state a lot of classes are trust funded.  Advanced courses can also be applied for that are provided by outside specialty organizations or firms.  There is also some training available from the feds through FLETC, FEMA and some individual federal agencies.

Find out what training is available through the agency and look at taking what you can.  I will say some of the guys that have gotten a lot of training at my agency have taken advantage of the trust fund classes when their schedule allows or get the general instructor certification and pick up a lot of classes for instructor training.  Also getting an investigator or specialty assignment will often lead to more training opportunities.

Surefire are hard to beat for lights. I carry two and I’m plainclothes.

A Surefire G2 and a Streamlight Protac 1L dual fuel that my agency bought.

Both are excellent lights.

After over 10 years of using a patrol style bag in the passenger seat I switched to a Duluth trading cab commander bag. This bag here and it’s one of the best things I’ve done

It’s got enough room for what I need and doesn’t get cluttered like the other style bags. One of the big side pockets is stuffed with rubber gloves and the other hold my big 40 ounce water bottle. In the big pouch I carry a clipboard and an accordion style folder full of paperwork.

The front has many little pockets to store pens and other items.

It’s got enough room for all you need and is well organized.

Always make sure you have at least a small flashlight always on your belt or person. With a bigger one in the car too.

A lot of officers will wear mechanix or pat down gloves when searching people. I hate wearing those. I find with any of those style I can’t feel as well and figure a needle will still poke through them. I wear just simple rubber gloves when searching people. Also better than getting blood and other crap on your mechanix gloves. I do throw a pair of mechanix gloves on my dash at the start of my shift but rarely use them, and when I do it’s for random thing.

Honestly, you'll figure out what you'll need fairly quick. If you need a better light or another light you'll know it.

Extra cuffs are a must. I carry two on my belt and keep an extra pair in the map pocket of my shop. You'll arrest some guys that can't get their hands behind their backs and two cuffs wont cut it.

Gloves might be a good idea. I only use disposable gloves and I usually pick them up for free from the EMT's on my scenes. I see guys carry around patrol type gloves and I never saw the need. The same gloves you're searching a crackhead with are the are ones that end up in your pocket or in you car somewhere. I just use the disposables and toss them at the end of the scene.

I would get at least two pairs of whatever boots you decide to purchase. Have a pair that are your work boots and keep another pair for special events.

Let your experiences and the area you work dictate what you need to purchase or else you'll end up buying a lot of unnecessary things you might not need.

If your agency doesn’t issue them, consider getting a plate carrier, medical supplies and an IFAK. Keep extra batteries for all your different flashlights, optics, etc. Wet/cold weather gear and a spare uniform comes in hand as well.

I'll repeat what some other have said but with some extra thrown in.

1.  A good bright rechargeable flashlight that you can charge in your car and carry it on your gunbelt.  I love Streamlight but there are lots of brands out there now.  A gunlight for your handgun if you didn't get issued one & your department will let you use one.

2. A second pair of handcuffs for your belt & either a 3rd pair or a pair of leg shackles that you carry in the car.

3. Tourniquet & a tourniquet holder for your gunbelt and put it where you can retrieve it with either hand.  If the department doesn't allow them on your belt there are holders you can wear on your ankle.

4. Cheap pens and sunglasses.  If you spend big bucks on a pen or sunglasses you will loose or break them in a week.

5. Engraver.  Get a cheap engraver and mark your flashlight, handcuffs, clipboard, etc with your ID number, name or badge number.  COPS WILL TAKE ANY UNATTENDED & UNMARKED POLICE GEAR.  You can leave a $1,000 in cash, a pound of meth, a gun and your duty flashlight on a table in the rollcall room and leave for an hour and when you return the money will have been separated by denomination, the meth will have a dick drawn in it,  the gun will have 10,000 new fingerprints on it from being finger fucked by everyone walking by and your flashlight will be missing.

Not gear related but even more important is start planning for your retirement now.  If your department has deferred comp get in now & put in the max.  Talk to a financial adviser and start planning and saving NOW.  In twenty years you will thank me!  If you are already doing this than you are doing better than me wen I was new.

23 yrs a FF here. +1 on def comp. I put in what I could afford and when we'd get say a 2% raise, I'd bump it up by that much, my take home pay remained pretty much the same. If your retirement allows you to add military time, buy it now while it's cheap. First aid gloves, get a box, stash them about your gear and person. People are ICKY. Check the gloves, they will deteriorate. I retire in 6 weeks, it goes by like That!  Good luck and stay safe.

Great info here.  For a new guy I would say the flashlight, gloves, and TQ that are on your person are very important.  Any ground fighting training that you can get also.  I train BJJ and it works with LE work when you have to get your hands dirty.  Another thing I will say is a good pair of sunglasses.  I have always used polarized Oakleys and they have never broken on me.  You can get discounted sunglasses through Oakley Standard Issue.

Great info all, thank you very much.

I was thinking BJJ training. Have some CKM (Commando Krav Maga) under my belt already, but the grappling would be fun and would definitely come in handy.

Gloves - good to go

Flashlights - looking into right now

Clipboard, metal good to go

Cuffs - spare looking into

Sunglasses - OakleySI - got some and am I member there (military account) 👍🏻

Knives - all good info. Set up there👌🏻

Tourniquet - in process of getting one and an IFAK

Engraver - lmao (your comment) - I’ll grab up the add on for the dremel

I appreciate all the comments, they are getting me squared away.

For handcuffs, look at handcuffwarehouse.com

They do engraving, and are actually cheaper than most cop shops I've seen.

I'm assuming you are either fixing to start the academy or FTO. If you are starting FTO, just bring the minimum crap with you every day. The car will be crammed with all of the mandatory gear required to carry, plus your training officer's gear. Space will be extremely limited so limited what you carry to just the basics to get you through training.

Yes Sir, Academy.
Next month.

ASP handcuffs. One hinged, and one chained set, on your person. They have a key hole and lock on each side, and they facilitate larger wrists than Peerless or S&W.

A pen style handcuff key that you can use when your hands are shaking.

They're ridiculously expensive, but Gatorz sunglasses are the best thing ever. You can bend them to fit you perfectly, so they won't ever slide down or fall off.

The guy who said to mark your shit was absolutely correct. Etch your initials or badge # on everything without a serial number.

When you're in FTO, you will screw everything up. Thats expected; accept it, learn from it, and move on. Minor mistakes are only a problem if it's the same mistake over and over.

Get your phonetic alphabet and basic geography down before FTO.

Every shift, as soon as possible, drive your FTO to get coffee or whatever their beverage of choice is. Don't wait for them to tell you.

Carry rubber gloves on your person at all times. Put them on if blood, saliva, shit, vomit or urine might be involved. Keep more in your patrol bag. Re-supply at the jail.

Don't eat too much at lunch. If you do, you will end up in a foot chase, which will result in you to wanting to vomit. Even if you break all land speed records and catch the guy, everyone will make fun of you if you puke afterward.

If someone runs from you, follow them in the vehicle as far as you possibly can. You'll be tempted to immediately chase them on foot; don't. Follow them in your vehicle through fields, over sidewalks, anywhere the car will go. Then when it's time to run them down, they'll be gassed and you won't.

You didn't ask for FTO advice, but I gave it any way. Good luck dude.

Then dont go crazy buying gear just yet. Focus on getting through the academy, then FTO, then probation. Make sure you have a job before you go out and spend money. Seriously.

If you are issued a duty belt and gear to wear in the academy, take the time to evaluate how you have it set up during the range, dt, driving course ect. Once you passed the academy and start FTO, check to see if there is a policy that dictates what you can and cannot carry.

That high speed kydex and nylon open top mag pouch looks cool as shit, but if your policy mandates leather closed top then you just wasted money and will just look cool sitting in the closet. Or if you make the mistake and show up wearing it your day is not going to be a pleasant one.

FTO is going to be stressful enough, dont add unnecessary stress on top of it.

Sir,
I really appreciate that advice.
Thank you.

No problem. These are just my observations as an FTO and supervisor.

A lot of great advice has been posted in this thread, so if possible try and save as much as you can. Some stuff wont apply since every agency is different.  Use what you need and put the other stuff in your tool box in case you need it later.

Small medic (boo-boo) kit for personal use.  Tums chewables.  Change of clothes in the car or locker for bad or water-logged calls.  If you have old boots, that's a good place for them until you can get extra ones.

What everyone else said... for me the most comfortable boots I’ve ever worn are the Altima OTB maritime assault boots. They look just like a pair of Chuck Taylor’s but much better sole material. No more foot pain for me! They don’t look like traditional boots but if you can give them a chance.

Only buy the essentials and don’t make any big purchases (new dirt bike, Car, house, change apartments, etc) until you’re off your probationary period after FTO

Seen more than one fresh face graduate the academy, go out and buy a new truck, then get dropped before probation was over.

Nothing except the minimum required/issued by your department.

Once you've been on for a little bit, that's when you start learning what you need or don't need.

Handcuff key with integral light

Saw that you were still in the Academy.  I would not buy anything really until you get out with your PTO at your department.

The one exception I can immediately think of is a large cuff key like the below one.

cuff key

Great in training and on the road.

So one thing I’d recommend is dictated by your policy. If you have to carry a TQ there’s adapters to safariland holsters that allow you to carry a TQ on your holster and keep stuff off the back of your belt. That’s my serious recommendation if you don’t have someone telling you already. Keep stuff off the back of your belt and get internal suspenders for your outer belt! Open top cuff cases are probably another investment. Other then that you’ll figure out what you like and don’t like.

Safariland ALS, pens that you dont care if they get lost, and some damned black nitrile gloves

Amen

Streamlight my friend

oh and those composite types are fine dude no worries... The main thing is what you are hearing.. Some disposable pens, gloves, and as far as a writing surface I simply just use notepads but whatever. You know those little ones.

Everyday life being easier:

-A good pair of leather gloves (get the ones without the knuckle hardpoint, they get stuck in searching pockets).  The pair I still have - which I have had for years - has cut / puncture protection.  They are a lifesaver and I wish I would have had them before cheese-grating my hands on asphalt during a foot chase.  If you get a pair, go try some on.  There's a fine line of what is enough and what is too much where you loose sensation and feel on your weapon, etc.

-Mini-bag of everyday aches/pains kit.  A kit that has some form of floss, Tums, normal heavy-duty bandaids, ibuprofen, tylenol, alcohol swabs, neosporin, q-tips, pair of tweezers, fingernail clippers, etc.  (it will come in handy, for you and your squad mates).

-Comfortable boots that have good grip, arch support, and ankle support

-Another poster mentioned the seat storage style kits.  They have cheaper ones, but anyone of these you can get will pay dividends.  

Good luck, stay safe.

A good flashlight.  Streamlight has the best warranty in the business.  I've own several.

A good pair of boots.  Spend some money on them or you'll need a good foot doctor.  Been there, done that, didn't get a t-shirt

But the #1 thing you need is JOIN PBA!!!  You will need a lawyer one day and PBA will be invaluable

Yep.  Always have:
1. Pen
2. Something to write on
3. Flashlight.

I lost count of how many times I had to write notes, or a car tag, or a name, on my  hand or forearm with a ball point pen.

I screwed up big time one day, probably the worst of my whole career, when I didn't have a pen or paper, and had to try and memorize a guy's name, D.L number and DOB (pre-cell phone camera days) and didn't do a very good job.

I second this recommendation.  Great piece of kit.

High-quality CLEAR shooting glasses to wear at night. Not I my do they protect your eyes from COVID-laden spit, they also protect them from spall (look it up). Massad Ayoob turned me on to them 20 years ago.

Familiar with spall, did breaching the other day.
Thank you all for the recommendations, I appreciate it.

Good boots, more than one pair. Winter and Summer boots can be a deal breaker. Don't forget good socks.

Light mentioned numerous times. Have one good one on you belt and a cheap small one in your pocket. (one is none, two is one).

Tourniquet and training to use it. (I carry two and two quick combat gauze on me and more med in the truck). The medical is for you, your fellow officers and folks you run up on. Every time I have use my medical stuff, EMS was only 5-7 minutes away, just long enough for someone to bleed out.

Duty gear, think ounces are pounds. You will realize you can put a ton of stuff on your belt and at the end of a very long shift your back will let you know it was a ton. The lighter you can go with any piece of equipment the better. I switched from pretty basket-weave leather gear to nylon, lightweight cuffs and a to a Glock45 MOS and saved almost 5 pounds off my duty belt, It makes a huge difference.

Work out everyday, walk, run, weights, etc. Your body will thank you and so will your co workers when your are needed.

Find a way to get away from the job and realize there is life outside of work. If you don't it will consume you.

Keep a positive attitude (sometimes very difficult) and never get complacent on any call. I have seen the simplest calls turn into the worst.

Take care and good luck in your new adventure.

Make sure you get a duty belt that has Velcro on the inside, buy a heavy duty liner belt to got with it.  Volund gear werks makes a good one for about $40.  And boots… please get yourself a good pair.  I like Rocky SV2’s.  Pricey but worth it.

Tons of good advice here.

I carried two pairs of gloves.  One for just general protection, when I often needed maximum dexterity, you will use these the most, but the protection is limited, but better than nothing.

When I needed to really go digging on a suspect or a really filthy car, where I am going to reach into crevices, etc., I would wait till the suspect was securely detained and I had at least one other officer out with me, before switching to a glove that provides puncture protection.

The good puncture resistant gloves will have very, very, poor dexterity, so be very selective when you use them.

Also note, if you haven't already, there is a difference between puncture and slashing/cutting protection, know what your gloves are rated for when buying.

Since were sort of on the subject of pat downs/searches, when I was going to do a pat down/search and first asked the subject about anything I should be concerned about.... I always asked SPECIFICALLY, do you have a gun or a knife on you?  Then I would ask any weapons at all? I would repeat this several times, watching the suspects facial reactions. Once that was done,  I specifically asked, do you have any needles anywhere at all? I would again, ask several times,  each time saying NEEDLES.

The reason I point this out, is officers often have a mantra of saying "anything on you that can cut me, poke me, stab me, hurt me, etc., and  many of the drugged out subjects I was dealing with didn't comprehend all that quickly chanted at them, so I SPECIFICALLY ask each item I am most concerned about very distinctly.

I've had several suspects say no to other officers on whether they were in possession of anything that would "cut" or "poke" them, but a search revealed the suspect did in fact have needles.  The suspect when questioned on why they did not alert the officers, would say because the needles had their caps on them so they didn't think they could poke anyone.

Always explicitly ask about NEEDLES, by using the word "NEEDLES" and even then, of course don't assume they are being honest or forthcoming, but at the end of the day, this approach got me the most reliable answers from suspects.