Gun Belts

A gun belt, or police duty belt, is a nylon or leather belt worn by police or security officers to carry the equipment they need to do their job. Some of the things officers regularly carry in their belts include plasticuffs, handcuffs, radios, batons, notebooks and other paperwork, and hand-held weapons such as pepper spray or, depending on the style of belt and the job the officer does, ammunition and handheld weapons. The duty belt is also used to carry less police-specific items that can include torches, batteries, pens and pencils, keys, and other personal items. Duty belts get very heavy - often weighing in at more than 20 pounds - so they have to be made of durable, thick, and long-wearing material. Most duty belts are about two inches wide and are usually made of nylon or leather.

Leather belts are more flexible than nylon belts, and nylon belts often lead to officers complaining of back pain. Most police officers and security guards wear black duty belts, though brown leather is becoming more common, especially if it matches the officer's uniform. Belts usually wrap around the officer's waist and have a buckle closure at the front. A belt keeper - a device that wraps around the duty belt and the trouser belt - keeps the belt from sliding down if an officer has to run or take something out of the belt, or is involved in an altercation. Often, an officer uses several belt keepers to keep everything in place. Because the belts are heavy, some officers use belt suspenders, which move a portion of the belt's weight to the wearer's shoulders, cutting down on pressure and allowing the belt to be worn looser.

Newer-designed suspenders break off from the wearer when pulled so they can't be used against the officer in a struggle. Plastic buckles are the most common fastener on belts, and many use a three-way buckling system for added security.