THE PATROL KIT

John McCoperson, LMS Defense Law Enforcement Instructor

Patrol officers lead the way. There is no way around that. Investigation, specialty units and even SWAT are needed and serve a purpose, but when things first get going, patrol is usually the first on scene. With this fact in mind, every patrol officer or deputy needs to be ready for those extra ordinary calls.

First and foremost, all should have some type of “go bag” with extra supplies. Most people think of supplies as extra ammo, while I agree, this needs to be a bit more involved than that.

First, I believe that extra water is a primary concern. During times of increased stress your body can double or triple its need for water. Remember that you are carrying more weight than normal with your vest, duty belt and whatever other equipment you have. Now, add to that a rifle, ammo for that rifle, hard plates, a go-bag or chest rig and things can get real heavy. Having to run distance carrying these things, then possibly clear a large school or commercial building where the average inside temperature is 70-74 degrees will wear you out and dehydrate you very fast. Think about standing on a perimeter for several hours without anyone able to bring you a drink. If you live in areas such as the Southwest , where temperatures can reach triple digits, your ability to operate at the top of you game will be cut well below half with out fluid intake. Add a couple of bottles of water to your gear bag. You will be glad you did.

We discussed ammo but I’ll touch on it briefly again. There are varying ideas on how much you should be carrying. I think that three to four extra magazines, on some type of carrying device or in a bag is adequate. These combined with the one in the rifle gives a load out of 120 to 150 rounds of rifle, not including your pistol and extra ammo for that. If you are in a situation that requires more than that, things are seriously bad. I am not saying this is an absolute, just a guide. For the rural deputy who’s back up maybe an hour away, or the city patrol officer who has several large schools and banks in his beat, things may change. Adjust your load out to what you feel is right.

Gunshot Trauma Kits are also a mandatory item. Not just for treating injured victims, but yourself. None of us want to think about this, but it is always a possibility. Being able to stop major bleeding, or any other major injuries that could reasonably occur, should be a mandatory skill. A minimum list of items to include in this should be; Tourniquet, trauma bandage, occlusive dressing, a compact roll of gauze and a triangular bandage. These items can be placed into a package that can be carried in a side pocket or easily within the contents of our go-bag. Build it to your needs and learn how to use its contents.

Another item should include a small set of binoculars. These are an under used item. Too many times do we advance to our objective location without observing it first. Many times we could take an extra second and check the area first if we had a set of these available to us. Again, if you are on a perimeter waiting for SWAT, a set of binoculars could provide a ton of information that you may not get without them. There are a thousand different uses. If you don’t have a set, borrow a friend’s and see how much you begin to use and depend on them.

Some sort of marking device should also be carried. I tend to use a large Sharpie Marker. It allows for use on a ton of different surfaces. It will also last a while if it is kept properly. Chem. Lights work for lighting dark areas, or doorways when securing building too. Carrying a long strip of evidence tape is a cheap way to go. It is compact, and can be torn to the desired length and tied around door knobs to mark areas.

Add a heavy duty knife to your bag. This will provide you with the ability to open, cut and even pry things in a pinch that you may not have been able to do with a small cheap folder. Knives are an over looked item in the law enforcement community.

Power bars or other sources of energy. This is low on my list because eating will not be as important as re-hydrating. We all know that we can go days without food, but a substantially lot less without water. Having said that, it sucks to go 10 hours with no food, so why not add a couple ounces to our go-bag weight and throw in some CLIFF bars.

Something that needs to be mentioned but not discussed in this article is breeching. If able, a crow bar and sledge hammer will benefit you kit also. Gaining entry to a residence or building when you absolutely must is just as important as getting there safe.

The things mentioned above are just a guide. Take a look at where you work and what your needs will be. Once you have spent a little time doing that, build a kit which works for you. Nobody can tell you with certainty what you will need. That has to be determined by you, and the little things you forget and need, will come with experience working on the job.