How you carry your baton depends on where you serve and what your duties demand. Department regulations and requirements may mandate the baton you carry and the method you use to carry it. These can vary regionally as well as from county to city to town to village. What works for officers in rural Pike County, Kentucky may not suffice for those in Cochise County, Arizona. And beat cops in Seattle, Washington may sport their batons differently than those in Warwick, Rhode Island.

Today, there are a variety of baton holders on the market. If your department or agency offers choices, you'll want to pick a style with maximum comfort and ease of retrieval, especially suited to your particular needs.

In addition to the popular styles that attach to a duty belt and are highly visible (which make them a deterrent all by themselves), there are scabbard-style carriers designed to be worn under a suit coat or in a back pocket. Perfect for undercover work, they guarantee your baton will be kept secure and out of sight until you are ready to deploy it. Make certain that this style does not inhibit your ability to withdraw the baton as rapidly and smoothly as possible. If the scabbard grabs or tugs on your baton, slowing the withdrawal, it's a hazard to your health!

Leather wrist straps or thongs attached to the end of a baton helps keep it secure, especially for mounted patrol officers who must maintain a hands-free stance at all times. Unfortunately, this style won't work for bike patrol officers who would be better served by a holder worn on their duty belts.

Vehicle patrol officers, who spend much of their time getting in and out of their cruisers or sitting while patrolling neighborhoods or districts, need to consider accessibility as well as comfort when choosing a baton holder. Expandable batons make the most sense, offering a choice of open or closed configuration. There are special sidebreak holders created specifically for them. They make for rapid reholstering of the baton after use.