I’m an Industrial design student in New York. I am currently working on a project, redesigning a piece of police gear to make it more comfortable or safer, and was wondering if anyone could help me out with this. Right now I’m just looking for problems that you may have with certain pieces of equipment and even possible changes that you would like to see done. This can be anything from your clothing, belts, tactical weapons to instruments in your car. Any Help is greatly appreciated.

Not sure if this is the sort of thing your looking for

I experience a few problems:

With our stab vests, they are quite uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time especially in hot weather because of their weight. So, a lighter vest that still offers the same level of protection would be good.

Our asps, sometimes these extendable batons have a tendancy to close, so reliability is a factor of safety here. It's not good having a baton that wont stay open.

Also, some gloves which offer slash proof / needle proof protection for when carrying out stop and search but also have the same flexibility as normal gloves so you can still use your hands fully would be good.


Hope you find some help on the forum, if not from my ideas above then the later ideas that I know other members will provide you

Oh, and built in LED's to our flat caps so that you don't have to hold a torch while you fill out forms you can use one hand to write the form with and the other is free to catch the fists of angry relatives of the "naughty" person.

Buy a nite-writer pen has a built in light.


Lots of better kit is available then what we are issued but forces tend to buy the cheapest stuff. So what we need is kit that cheap but works as well as expenasive stuff

Does anyone know where I could find out more information about product problems. Perhaps other sites or forums. Thanks a lot for the feedback so far!

Check your 'Private Message' inbox

police forces want it : CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP

Thanks a lot for the sites, I'm going to check them out today!

Wish I had your difficulties Commissioner...

Stab vests: Don't have them.

Expandable Batons: Our 13" wooden batons sometimes break, so kinda the same thing as yours collapsing.

Gloves: We're hard pressed to find a box of disposable rubber ones in the station, let alone cut / slash resistant.

Bit of a grumpy tone to my first post on here... ah well. Nice to meet you all!

Wherabouts are you?

India or Russia?

Sounds like a guard from my neck of the woods somewhere

Now ya have it!

Vests, There are lighter. thinner and with a better level of protection already on the market. The only thing with vests you're never going to stop the sweating bit as they don't breath very well if at all. And the most important bit is they cost more.

Batons, Monadnock already do a collaping baton that locks, Autolock is it's name.


There are some gloves that protect against needle sticks and still allow some dexterity and feeling.


You're going to be limited by textiles and materials available already. Unless you want to fake up a new one.

Takes one to know one robo