Page 342 - NIXBOOK

When I started my career, this is what I was first issued to carry on my duty belt:

1 pair of handcuffs
1 large canister of pepper spray to make people cry

1 expandable metal baton to club people with

1 very large and very heavy Smith and Wesson .45 caliber model 645 Semi-Auto handgun. Capacity was 8 rounds,
+1 in the chamber.

2 extra ammo magazines; 8 more .45 cal bullets each

1 portable police radio with a collar mic with 5 channels, two knobs. (no display screen)

1 very large flashlight

And under my uniform shirt, one thick and kind of stiff Kevlar bullet resistant vest. Not bullet proof, but bullet resistant. Actually
it could only stop handgun rounds – a rifle projectile would go right through it. The vest parts (a front and a back) were in a
fabric carrier that had Velcro straps to hold it all together. I had several thick Kevlar “bulletproof” vests over the years. I didn’t
mind wearing them too much but sometimes during the summer one could get a little sweaty in them and every once in a while
I’d get an itch on my back or somewhere under the vest that could be very, very difficult to get to. They also made everybody
who wore one look several pounds fatter in the stomach area and they had an annoying tendency to ride up towards the neck
while sitting. But the technology improved over the years and subsequent models of vests (replaced every 6 years or so) were
almost always slightly thinner and more pliable and more comfortable than earlier models. I had a special pocket sewn into the
front of my vest carrier to hold spare keys and a pocketknife, which I could easily reach just several inches below my front collar.
Because I didn’t like getting locked out of my patrol car. Also in a pants or shirt pocket I carried the requisite small paper
notebook, and at least two pens.

Look close below and we see me sporting a drop holster on my leg, because that was the only place I had room for the new taser,
circa 2006 or so. Behind my radio is large collapsible impact weapon (which doubled as a great place to hang my hinge cuffs)
and behind that a new and improved small flashlight, that by today’s standards is way too big.

When I became a K9 handler, I got to wear a special tactical jumpsuit. A lot of guys loved wearing their jumpsuits instead of the
regular uniforms and when I got one I had to agree they were great. They were one piece, very durable, and were loaded with
pockets everywhere. They were standard issue for K9 handlers because the fabric didn’t collect dog hair all over them, and they
didn’t get as dirty as fast as the regular uniforms; especially good for the handlers who had patrol dogs that would regularly go
track bad guy running through bushes and fields and woods. Those jumpsuits were also custom made and cost well over $400
dollars, but they held up for years. The pockets. I loved the pockets! I had two breast pockets that had zippers on the top and
each had another side pocket in there behind them; so there were four there, and then two more on the seat, and two more on
the front legs, and even a taser pouch on the left leg. I could easily carry lots of empty folded evidence collection bags, black
nitrile disposable gloves, a notebook and pens two cell phones and a flashlight and spare keys in just the pockets. Then I took it
up one level; two of the chest side pockets had come with zipper and Velcro closures; one each. I eventually concluded that
neither was best, and I had a better idea. So with the help from a police clerk who knew how to sew, I replaced the Velcro side
pocket closure with super strong magnets, sewn into the fabric. It was a great success; no more loud Velcro ripping; I could just
shove my phone into the closed pocket to break the magnet seal, and then reach in and take it out, quietly and securely, with
the magnets auto closing immediately afterward. I don’t know why magnets aren’t used more in clothing…?!?