Personally bought Garda equipment

fastbowler

To any of the guards or reserves on here: Whats your most valuable piece of personal equipment that you just wouldn't leave the station without? Is there anything that you have gone off and bought yourself because its not issue? Obviously your vest,asp, cuffs and pepper spray are up there but is there anything else??

source

2 items,

1: proper search gloves
2: pen

lehanemore

small LEDlenser

lehanemore

retractible coil for cuff key

eroo

pen

Sums it up.

I carry a minimum of 2-3 pens any time I'm out and about. Can't really do anything without a pen!

Hooch

Neck warmer for the bikes

LED torch

Warm gloves!! (very had to get good warm gloves you can do things in)

Boots (proper ones.....although the new Hiax ones are quiet good)

Large cuff key

Plenty pens....ones that will work in cold and dampness

Opps.....nearly forgot the most used one.....the Leatherman

shampon

Pens agus Leatherman agus Torch agus Gloves.

eroo

nice guy always wrote: »

Warm gloves!! (very had to get good warm gloves you can do things in)

You never cease to amaze me!:D

1922

a pepper spray holder with elasticated attachment

saved me big time one night...paid for itself there and then

Locust

I had a retractable coil for cuff key but it snapped - next time i went for a cuff key thats long like a pen with a clip on it - i can then clip it on my shirt/fleece or whatever pocket - very handy!

You are committing cardinal sin if you leave the station without - radio, cuffs(w/key), baton/spray, pen/notebook and in the evening times a torch. It blows me away seeing people leave without the first three items or forgetting their belt etc!!

I try to carry the issue torch (searching/traffic duties) and a smaller pocket one (notebook/backup light).
With the cold weather i've been wearing underarmour - coldgear and try to dress in layers its quite good insulation.
I was looking into the holster for the spray with the coil wire attached to it - looks very handy/fast draw.

1922

Locust wrote: »

I was looking into the holster for the spray with the coil wire attached to it - looks very handy/fast draw.

its the best thing i have. saved me one night i swear and there and then justified the €25

hedges

Common sense and cop on.................All you need

But they cant be bought and at times it would seem they cant be taught or learnt............

Zambia

Common sense would dictate you bring a pen.

CharlieCroker

-small Lenser
-leatherman
-ski gloves for this time of the year (bulky but essential at this time of year and can still write with them on)
-plenty of rubber gloves
-iphone is brilliant for finding addresses quickly


plan on getting one of those spiral OC holders, heard good things about them.

goldie fish

CharlieCroker wrote: »

-iphone is brilliant for finding addresses quickly.

Remember when everyone had local knowledge.

Oh Charlie, you are on TV at the moment.

CharlieCroker

Saw that! Im a master thief.

Have local knowledge but I work in a large district covered in housing estates and back laneways so impossible to know everywhere so every little helps.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Zambia232 wrote: »

Common sense would dictate you bring a pen.

And a pencil, they don't run out of ink and never fail on wet paper

Good thread, you guys are pretty much the same as us in the army, buying Gucci gear to make life on the ground easier.

Zambia

I am actually surprised no one mentioned a good Sat Nav.

Some days even after working an area for ages A street came up when I just drew a blank.

searescue

Donovan Glamorous Misfortune wrote: »

And a pencil, they don't run out of ink and never fail on wet paper

Good thread, you guys are pretty much the same as us in the army, buying Gucci gear to make life on the ground easier.

That mean you carry the pencil pointer too?

arybvtcw0eolkf

searescue wrote: »

That mean you carry the pencil pointer too?

Sharpen it off the wall/ground - jeeze, kids & their computers these days

Locust

I haven't yet fallen into the iphone gang but i know someone who... get this - typed a whole statement out on the iphone while waiting in the car between calls.... geez... (he was a bit nauseous after but got it done!)
I have to say the google maps seems fairly handy

arybvtcw0eolkf

I was wondering today, are you guys allowed use your iPhone's (or any camera phone) to take photos of crime scenes, or is there any value in that for an ordinary member?.

Hooch

Donovan Glamorous Misfortune wrote: »

I was wondering today, are you guys allowed use your iPhone's (or any camera phone) to take photos of crime scenes, or is there any value in that for an ordinary member?.

Yea you can for certain things like RTCs etc, but for crimes and the like a qualified Garda photographer is needed.

Other side of it is that members should be given cameras for such events but alass they are not. Personal camera are also used, not just iPhones.

TylerIE

nice guy always wrote: »

Warm gloves!! (very had to get good warm gloves you can do things in)

Do you have any recommendations for gloves!!! Iv been looking for a while but most either appear to be strong and light-weight(cold) / nice and warm but too bulky or rigid to write with!!!

Bob the Builder

Also, what sort of boots/shoes do you guys wear for your work? I remember being told about the "expensive shoes that all the Guards wear" but I am struggling to find them again...

Potential-Monke

The amount of people who go out and about without something to write with is crazy! It's not that hard to remember one!

The boots are Haix. And i wouldn't mind finding a good pair of warm & tough gloves myself. My original issue ones were great, after a year they were worn in enough to be tough but useable. They went missing though...

One of the lads here had the coil OC holder and was told to get rid of it...

audidiesel

Cuffs, long cuff key, torch, pens, holster for sig

MagicSean

Long cuff key and uv light.

Oink

The Haix look great, but how do plastic toecaps compare to steel?
I need a new pair. (EDIT: of shoes)

Zambia

watch

da_hambo

Magnums, long cuff key and a leatherman!

deadwood

da_hambo wrote: »

Magnums, long cuff key and a leatherman!

Sounds like a night in the basement with Mrs DW.

CaseyRyback

deadwood

That photygraph was taken at my passing out.

BaronVon

As per my union directions, I don't use any personal equipment on duty!

Zambia

Why would that be?

BullSWD

If members use their own equipment bought with their own money then the govt wont ever come round to kitting them out fully. Its crazy because nearly everyone I know has some item or other thats not standard issue which should be. USB keys spring to mind straight away.Neck warmers, under armour, heavy duty socks, gloves for writing, small torches also come to mind.

BaronVon

Directed not to use personal memory keys for security reasons

I got a USB key from the job, very good one at that.

Apply, you could get lucky.

Zambia

Well while I can understand that some stuff you just cant make standard. I would disagree while there should be an onus on the force to supply a level of equipment you could end up spending a lot of money on stuff the lads just will not use.

I would be more in favour of a system where some officers could equip themselves with approved items then cliam back the cost at a later date from tax paid.

Manic Moran

Zambia wrote: »

Well while I can understand that some stuff you just cant make standard. I would disagree while there should be an onus on the force to supply a level of equipment you could end up spending a lot of money on stuff the lads just will not use.

I would be more in favour of a system where some officers could equip themselves with approved items then cliam back the cost at a later date from tax paid.

The US Army figured out a very sensible way of solving that problem.

It looked at what it was that troops were spending their own money on when they went off to war. If a good portion of soldiers were buying this rifle sight, magazine, wicking T-Shirt or that set of gloves and so on, they figured it's probably a good product, so under the Rapid Fielding Initiative, they just bought the stuff off the shelf and started making it standard issue for everyone.

NTM

A.G.S

any member's use a leverage cap on their asp? I think it would be very handy for baton retention in wet conditions as the grip on the asp aint the best.

WilcoOut

A.G.S wrote: »

any member's use a leverage cap on their asp? I think it would be very handy for baton retention in wet conditions as the grip on the asp aint the best.

yes i would love to hear the 'reviews' from members on this handy little xtra. thinkin of investing in it myself

Hogzy

A money clip for me bribes












Joke

Soap MacTavish

Hi just wondering if someone can tell me if the tetra radio clip in the links are the ones needed for the tetra radio as theres never any spare clips on any of the radios on the ones for the reserves which makes the radios rather akward to carry around, Thanks

http://www.cqcomms.com/garda_accessories.htm

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Ex-Police-Motorola-Sepura-Tetra-Klick-Fast-Airwave-Radio-Docking-Clip-Clips-x-2-/370634002446?pt=UK_Collectables_Memorabila_RL&hash=item564b82100e

Thanks

Soap MacTavish

Soap MacTavish wrote: »

Hi just wondering if someone can tell me if the tetra radio clip in the links are the ones needed for the tetra radio as theres never any spare clips on any of the radios on the ones for the reserves which makes the radios rather akward to carry around, Thanks

http://www.cqcomms.com/garda_accessories.htm

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Ex-Police-Motorola-Sepura-Tetra-Klick-Fast-Airwave-Radio-Docking-Clip-Clips-x-2-/370634002446?pt=UK_Collectables_Memorabila_RL&hash=item564b82100e

Thanks

They are. Once you see Klick-fast you have the right ones.

Soap MacTavish

foreign wrote: »

They are. Once you see Klick-fast you have the right ones.

Cheers, thanks for the really quick reply, may pick up one someday

irishrgr

Well the obvious one over here is your sidearm LOL, you laugh, but blokes have forgotten them. Our "basic load" (per policy) for patrol is:

Approved weapon
Minimum three magazines
Two sets handcuffs
Two intermediate weapons (any combination of tazer, baton or OC spray)
Radio
Hand cuff key

I add:

Rubber gloves
Small belt torch (bigger one lives in the car charger)
Whistle
Pocket knife

Interestingly, other than the radio, I bought almost all of the above myself (including the gun). Our agency will provide you the minimum:

.357 S&W revolver with 2 speed loaders
Standard, non folding baton (complete pain in the arse to wear/carry)
Two cuffs
Radio

Every agency is different, some provide you everything, others make it a conditon of employment to provide your own equipment. You can claim it back against your taxes, but you still have to front the purchase.

Someone mentioned gloves, I really like the black nomex aviator/pilot gloves. They are great for writing, searches, very thin but gererally warm enough for most but the very coldest weather.

Always carry two pens, back up cuff key (long one like a pen) and a small stack of 3x5 in note cards instead of notebook. Personal phone also carried.

A

deadwood

Don't forget the oul' peann luaidhe. blood donor ones earn brownie points or Argos/bookie pencils.
Even my mont blanc struggles in the rain.

WilcoOut

irishrgr

when does the whistle come in handy?

Zambia

Hot babes?

goldie fish

You never know when you'll be asked to referee the local under 12s football..