In the 1950s, uniformed law enforcement officers carried very few items of police gear. The most common items were a revolver secured in a holster, a pair of handcuffs, and a nightstick. However, as other tools advanced throughout the 20th century, there has been a significant change in police gear. Police gear now includes a baton that folds up, pepper spray, a portable radio, a collapsible baton, and a video microphone transmitter (if the officer’s car has a camera). Other possible items include an automatic pistol, additional ammunition, metal and plastic handcuffs, and pepper spray. A clipboard loaded with additional report sheets is one of the essential components of police gear. In addition, many law enforcement officers keep medical equipment in their patrol cars, including first-aid kits, defibrillators, and other similar items. Some officers may even have portable breathalyzers, which can determine whether a driver is under the influence of alcohol. 

In addition to the essential items that have already been described, many law enforcement officers often bring along supplementary guns, pagers or mobile phones, flashlights, binoculars, tape recorders, portable scanners, plastic gloves, and other equipment. Due to the legal ambiguity surrounding the practice of carrying a hidden weapon, it is impossible to get an accurate picture of what private police gear contains. 

Officers also wear bulletproof vests, which protect the torso from projectiles. Enforcement officers can wear the bulletproof vest on top of or underneath the uniform shirt. The Kevlar fiber used to construct many of these jackets is effective against most pistol bullets and a wide variety of knives. Of course, the police gear available to the different police forces is directly proportional to the amount of money available to police departments. In addition, despite the general trend toward international uniformity in police gear, guns continue to be a significant and notable exception to this rule.

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