I’ve seen this practice at many departments and by all kinds of officers. With cell phones growing in size, the question of where to put them also becomes as large.
What I have noticed is officers clipping their cell phones to the flap on their magazine pouches.
This is a horrible idea on many levels — but let’s just focus on one.
If you become involved in a deadly-force encounter, the release of adrenaline will reduce your ability to feel, manipulate, and even open a magazine pouch which is now obstructed.
Of all places to carry a cell phone, an area where you access equipment with life-and-death implications is probably the worst choice.