Utility belt

A police duty belt (sometimes referred to as a gun belt, "duty rig" and/or kit belt) is a belt, typically constructed of nylon or leather used by police and security officers to carry equipment easily, in a readily-accessible manner, while leaving the hands free to interact.

Many police forces in the United Kingdom began with a uniform consisting of a swallow-tail coat and top hat. A pillbox or kepi hat along with a frock coat were introduced in the 1860s, along with helmets designed especially for protection against attack and the weather.Truncheons themselves had been introduced as early as 1764, however it was not until 1994 that police forces in the UK started to nationally standardise their uniform prompting the introduction of the duty belt to contain such equipment, instead of previously having their staff carry equipment in their handbags or adapted pockets. In the case of the earliest equipment carrying, a cutlass or firearm was usually clipped to the belt of the frock coat. In fact pockets themselves were not introduced until the early 1900s in some cases.

Before duty belts, British female officers carried their truncheons, which were shorter than the male version, in their handbags along with their police notebook as a matter of routine. Male officers carried handcuffs, whereas female officers were not permitted to without special permission. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Sam Browne belt was in popular use by police officers in the USA.

Most duty belts have a width of 2-1/4 inches and are either made of ballistic nylon or leather. Many Canadian police departments have had officers complain of having back pain due to their supposedly rigid leather belts. In response, many Canadian departments are now switching to nylon belts because they are considered by some to be more flexible. The Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), the second largest municipal police service in Canada, gave a contract to a consulting firm in order to find more ergonomic solutions.

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