Police Duty Belt - Equipment - Baton Holder

Baton Holder

For more details on this topic, see Baton (law enforcement).

There are several types of baton holders for officers who have fixed or collapsible batons. For fixed straight and side-handle batons, they use a ring which keeps the baton in place, but can slide out when the officer is running or engaging in an altercation with an offender, and a fixed baton usually has to be removed before the officer can sit in his patrol vehicle.

In the UK, where the police are not generally equipped with firearms, they use a cross-draw holster for their extendable batons, which is on the opposite side of their strong hand, facing forward. When an officer needs to draw the device from a cross-draw baton holster, he would be required to reach across his front to the other side of the belt, where the baton is, undo a thumbsnap (these baton holders have open tops, but are considered secure) and pull the baton out of the pouch. These holders also allow the baton to be stored while extended to allow the officer to arrest a suspect without the officer having to drop his baton or collapse it, which could take time and allowing the suspect to stage a counter attack or escape.

Elsewhere, officers can choose to have a closed baton pouch or an open top baton pouch for their extendable batons. Open top baton pouches are considered by some officers to be a safety concern as there is no thumbsnap to undo, as an officer may be unaware of the baton being taken from him or falling out when moving.