Taser w/ OC or baton

[Marcusio]

I'm on my first month as a sworn officer, I've been certified in OC & the taser.

Due to room on my duty belt I've chosen to carry my taser with my sidearm, but only have room and prefer to carry either OC or the expandable baton as my backup to the taser for non lethal options.

I'm torn, I can't stand the extra weight of a decent baton but on the other hand cross contamination of OC, that stuff was awful.

Which would you choose I'm my case & why?

Municipal police 10,000 ish if not more pop.

Thanks for the feedback.

[Mulgrave600]

Batons don't need to be reloaded and work in all weather conditions. If the fancy toys fail I'd rather have a baton to rely on than my fists.

[Marcusio]

Thank you,

I'm more interested in your decision between the OC & baton along with the taser as a whole. I understand both have pros & cons and are situational but as a whole and between one or the other and why.

Thank you again

[dontknowwhy]

How big is your waist? I am a size 30 (on a good day) can carry it all with a little room to spare. I have a slim line mag case, OC, weapon with tac light, cuffs, space (enough for a glove pouch if I wanted), cuffs on a strap, flashlight, radio, baton, taser, duty phone.

At my first department, we weren't allowed to carry OC and could only have a taser after being there a year. I used my baton once and it didn't work as well as I hoped. That being said, I still like to carry it. All the tools are pros and cons. Need to smash a window, strike several people rapidly, intimidate the hell out of someone, or even just scratch under your vest? Baton. Want to get a violent crowd to disperse, an unfriendly dog to leave you alone, or force someone out of a car or bathroom? OC. Want to totally incapacitate someone (usually) and end a lot of fights before they start? Taser.

Like I said, they all have their uses and I prefer to carry all three, but I would pick taser (fought a dude for a few minutes last week and a went from rage against the machine to Mr. Compliant after a 5 second ride) and baton (one longer range option with a close in multi-tasker), with OC in the car just in case.

[Iowa #1603]

How big is your waist? I am a size 30 (on a good day) can carry it all with a little room to spare. I have a slim line mag case, OC, weapon with tac light, cuffs, space (enough for a glove pouch if I wanted), cuffs on a strap, flashlight, radio, baton, taser, duty phone.
.

Find room.............^^^^ see above^^^^

All 3 can and will be used at one time or another.................SOME not even for the uses you expect. I PERSONALLY hate batons......BUT, have used them at one time or another during my career

I no longer carry OC, but have it available at my workstation ------------I carried it for years when I was out and about & not a desk jockey. & I won't give up my taser now.

[allen_gamble]

If I HAD to choose one over the other, I guess I'd take the baton. It's a little more multifunctional than OC. I've used my baton to: reach things that I couldn't otherwise reach, poke animals to make sure they're dead, break out glass windows, pry open a door, etc. But it doesn't sound like you HAVE to choose one over the other. I'm sure you could find room for OC somewhere. Maybe even just keep a little baby can of OC in a pocket or something.

BTW, 2.5 years on the job, and I've yet to use OC.

[Marcusio]

Thank you for the feedback thus far.

[Shush]

I feel your pain. I have a 30" waist too. I'd never not have a baton. It comes in handy more than you realize (in ways other than you've been trained to use it). It's a great door knocker. It's propped open my trunk lid before, while I've dug around looking for that obscure form we NEVER use but somehow I suddenly need. It's moved dead critters off the road. O/C is pretty much good for one thing, and the only time I have had to use it - it was ineffective against the guy.

if you want all 3 - do things like get a stacked mag holder and a double handcuff holder. Or eat more doughnuts every day, and in a year you will have 4-6 more inches on your belt.

[Mulgrave600]

Thank you,

I'm more interested in your decision between the OC & baton along with the taser as a whole. I understand both have pros & cons and are situational but as a whole and between one or the other and why.

Thank you again

I'm not equipped with a taser. My agency requires all operational members to carry OC and ASP baton whether they have a taser or not. Obviously things work a bit differently down here but the advantages of a baton are universal.

We currently use an aerosol OC that works extremely well. We're in the midst of changing to foam and streamer variations that seem underwhelming to me.

[Catfish56]

Carry the baton. Preferably, you would have at least one option for each level of the use of force continuum. Although other items could be used as an impact weapon if they needed to be, a good expandable baton is hard to beat. Not to mention the expandable baton can be used for other things besides striking someone when dealing with a non-compliant suspect. You should have been trained on these things during defensive tactics and should know it is useful for more than hitting people. Taser and baton beats Taser and OC.

[Shush]

My agency requires all operational members to carry OC and ASP baton whether they have a taser or not. Obviously things work a bit differently down here but the advantages of a baton are universal.

Not to mention the need for a baton down there because 2/3rds of the animal and insect life want to kill you, eat you, and lay eggs in your skull, and typically would find OC comparable to water.

[SmallCityCop]

I stopped carrying my OC after my 6th year on the job and never used it. I have used my ASP and my X26 more frequently than the OC. I am a size 36" waist and have been making efforts to minimize pressure and pain on my lower back and hips. I switched to a leather (or leather-look) Ergotek belt with the padded inside, took off my flashlight holder and switched to a ring for a MagLite 125 (I can take the flashlight off in the school and my car if need be), I moved my handcuffs closer to the front of my belt and placed my ASP opposite my gun. I also relocated my X26 closer to my magazine pouches. There is now ALMOST nothing sitting at my back or hips, minus the gun and radio. I also kept OC off the belt and switched to a lighter key ring.

[Mulgrave600]

I live in a nice urban area in a boring southern state. A kangaroo is exotic for me. Our friends in the Top End go for that sort of game. I couldn't work anywhere with a chance of meeting a six metre long ferocious crocodile any time you're near water.

[Rettroop]

Taser Baton, my choice

[LA DEP]

Mandated to carry both (OC and an impact weapon) here while in uniform performing patrol functions.