Editor’s Note: This week’s PoliceOne First Person essay is from PoliceOne Member Liam Yarbrough. In PoliceOne “First Person” essays, our Members and Columnists candidly share their own unique view of the world. This is a platform from which individual officers can share their own personal insights on issues confronting cops today, as well as opinions, observations, and advice on living life behind the thin blue line. If you want to share your own perspective with other P1 Members, simply send us an email with your story.
By Liam Yarbrough
Police1 Member
Over the past few years, there are growing numbers of instances where I witness officers wearing concealment/off-duty holsters for duty use. My observations have come while traveling for conferences, while in airports or at a trade shows. Regardless, wearing holsters on a duty belt where the design purpose behind it is in opposition to the application could have fatal results.
A lot of emphasis is put on the retention level for a duty holster. While the industry awaits a pending standard on duty holsters from the NIJ, the discussion of retention levels generally revolves around the number of automatic and/or mechanical retention devices required to navigate before the release of a handgun. In recent years, those retention levels have migrated into other classes of holsters, specifically concealment/off-duty type holsters. Discussions about significantly similar functions between duty holsters and off-duty holsters have become common place.
The unintentional result may be contributing to a misunderstanding of design purpose.
Duty holsters are constructed with thicker belt shanks and heavier duty materials in order to better withstand an attack. Concealment or off-duty style holsters generally have thinner belt loops or quick paddle attachment and most have thinner walls to allow for better concealment. These holsters may offer similar types of retention to their duty counterpart but aren’t designed to hold up against an attack no matter the level of retention.
When it comes to law enforcement, manufacturers know the stakes are higher because officers are asked to do so much. Equipment is designed with a specific purpose for a more specialized need. This is especially true for holsters, where purpose is varied by the type of solution being offered whether for duty or off-duty. Sometimes when you are so close to something it’s hard to understand information may be lost in flashy marketing slogans, cool looking products and catchy words.
The dynamic for our men and women in blue is changing with each budget cut, law suit and growing civil unrest stemming from economic pressures. Officers are tasked with keeping order while getting less and less respect. The more and more I talk with officers around the country, the more I hear officers want more and better information. Many officers say they don’t feel they get enough training. Trainers will tell you their budgets are being cut the most. Often a decision on equipment is approved by lowest price from well-meaning individuals.
If given the choice between ourselves and the bad guy in a fight for our lives, we are natural fans of ourselves. This is only a myth until tested. And if you are in law enforcement, count on it being tested at some point in your career. One way to help increase the odds of surviving is to understand the design purpose behind the equipment you use and then be proficient with it. Be informed, be safe, and be an advocate in your department for having the right equipment for the job because your life is worth it.
