This article by James Bell Jr. is intended for those in the Law Enforcement, Security, Bail Enforcement, and Corrections Professions. Most areas have limitations on civilian carry of batons. Batons also require training. If you do not get appropriate training, you can end up hurting yourself, or having an attacker use the baton against you.
NOTE: This article is no substitute for personal, hands-on, professional training. We assume no liability for our readers going out and doing something stupid. Get yourself some hands-on, professional training.
DEFENSIVE BATONS
There Are Three Basic Types Of Batons Employed By Law Enforcement, Security, And Corrections Professionals Today.
This Article Is Intended To Provide An Overview Of The Different Types Of Batons Available Today, And To Explain Why I Like The Particular Units I Recommend.
A baton - when employed by a properly trained individual - can be either an impact weapon or a defensive shield. When held one way, it can be used to deflect blows from an attacker. When employed as a bat - or as a lever - it can be used as a pain compliance tool.
As an impact tool, they can also be employed to break windows, break the safety glass surrounding fire extinguisher enclosures, or lever open doors to gain entry to vehicles or structures.
While I won't be getting into the specifics of the techniques used to employ batons in this article - especially as those are a matter of departmental training - I want to cover the basic types of batons, their history, and the basic advantages and disadvantages of each.
The three basic types of batons are...
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Side-Handle - also called a Tonfa or a PR-24-type Baton
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Expandable - also called the ASP
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Stun Batons - a stun gun in the shape of a stick providing extra reach.
There are also straight, fixed batons, usually made of wood or a polymer material. These are almost never carried anymore, at least in my experience, but are sometimes used in training. The Expandable Baton has essentially replaced these, but many of the same techniques apply to their employment.
SIDE-HANDLE BATONS:
The most famous side-handle baton is manufactured by Monadnock. These were first made available to Law Enforcement in 1974 after the pioneering efforts of Lon Anderson and were called the "Prosecutor" model PR-24. They were made of finished wood. The PR-24S - which is identical in function but is made of a synthetic material - was made available in 19xx. This happens to be my favorite type of baton.
While Monadnock claims that the PR-24 is NOT based on the Tonfa, the same techniques applicable to the Tonfa are also used with employing the PR-24.
The Tonfa is a martial arts fighting stick from the kobudo, or kobujutsu discipline - the Okinawan art of fighting with weapons made or taken from everyday objects. This is because anciently, the people of Okinawa were forbidden to own or carry weapons such as swords, but they were also often attacked by others who did have such weapons.
They developed methods of using common items - such as the Tonfa and other farming implements - as defensive weapons.
The Tonfa was actually the armature of a millstone that someone discovered could also function quite well as a convenient weapon. The Tonfa was about 20 to 24 inches long with a handle coming out 90-degrees about 6 inches from one end. The Tonfa was thicker around the handle and tapered at the ends. The PR-24 is almost identical- with the primary difference being that it is of a standard thickness throughout.
In Kobudo, two tonfas are normally used. Police usually only carry one baton - so the other hand is free to add leverage to the single PR-24, or to go for other tools such as handcuffs or a firearm should the need arise.
The PR-24S measures 23.75" overall. The handle is centered 6.5" in from the short end.
I like the PR-24S best because if it is held in your weak hand, with the long side ahead of your arm and the grip held close to the body of the baton, it is an excellent DEFENSIVE item. It can be used to block and deflect blows, allowing your strong-side hand to go for your OC, or as a last resort, your firearm. The polymer it is made from is very durable, and it is a great shock-absorber.
It can quickly be switched from defensive to offensive mode if needed, and is wide enough that - while causing pain compliance - the blow is spread over a larger area, minimizing the risk of serious permanent injuries as long as the blows are delivered to appropriate target areas on the body.
They are also relatively easy to pick up on. The basic techniques are simple for officers to understand and employ, yet they can also be employed using a variety of advanced techniques too. Many departments are switching to using Expandable Batons for a couple of reasons...
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Expandable Batons are smaller, taking less space on the belt. They also do not need to be removed before sitting down in a patrol car.
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Since they are smaller, they appear less threatening, making the officers appear less "bully-like".
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Expandable batons require less training time since they are somewhat easier to use than a PR-24-type baton.
I still like the PR-24S best, but the expandable baton is here to stay.
Monadnock offers an 8-hour Basic Training Course and a 16-hour Train-The-Trainer course on the PR-24. You can find information on this training at the address at the end of this page.
The Monadnock PR-24S Seen With A GLOCK Model 21 and Cuffs
EXPANDABLE BATONS:
The expandable baton is a relatively new development for regular on-duty carry. There are a number of these on the market, ranging from an extended length of 18" to about 28". They are usually metal, and may be stainless steel or black. The tip is usually rubber, polymer, or metal.
They are often referred to as ASP's, since ASP is one of the top brands of expandable batons.
The conventional type is a friction-lock design. These are employed by holding them at the handle and flipping the expandable sections open with a flip of the wrist. The baton sections lock open via friction against each other.
After the baton is employed, it is closed by hitting the tip of the expandable sections on a hard, solid surface. This pushes the expandable sections back into the handle.
An even more recent development is the AUTOLOCK Baton, again manufactured by Monadnock. Instead of a friction-lock mechanism, it uses a ball-bearing locking system. It can be fully extended by either a flip of the wrist, or by simply pulling the expandable sections out until they click into their locked-open position. A button in the endcap of the baton allows it to be closed very easily by hand, rather than by hitting it end-on on a hard surface. Opening the AUTOLOCK baton by hand offers a tactical advantage in that it is quieter than flipping it open.
For my duty baton, I settled on the Monadnock AUTOLOCK 22" [which actually measures 21.5" overall] with SuperGrip and their POWER SAFETY TIP [Model 9052].
The POWER SAFETY TIP is much larger than what is customary on the expandable baton [1.75" in length and being 7/8" wide]. It is made from urethane rubber, and aside from adding to the striking power, by providing a larger surface area it spreads the impact out over a larger area, again minimizing the risk of serious or permanent injury to the subject as can sometimes be caused by a smaller tip which concentrates the impact.
The POWER SAFETY TIP also offers the advantage of being able to easily grip and pull inside out the material in most pockets. This enhances officer safety when searching a subject. You can use the baton to open their pockets rather than your fingers - keeping you away from potentially sharp and/or infected objects they may be carrying.
The SuperGrip is a fluted, rubber 1" wide grip along the entire length of the handle. This provides a surface that clings to your hand - making it very difficult for an attacker to pull it out of your possession. It also lets you easily grip the baton to position it for different purposes.
This grip does present one problem - it can make it difficult to pull from certain baton holsters. Monadnock makes a special holster just for this baton [Model 3034], but I have not yet had a chance to try it out on any of my duty belts.
I have found this to be a superior baton, and the crisp SNAP that is heard when the unit is opened by flipping is a great way to get the attention of the subject in question.
The Monadnock AUTOLOCK 22" With SuperGrip and Power Safety Tip
My primary thing against the expandable baton is that it is slightly more difficult to employ as a defensive tool. It is more of an offensive bat than a defensive tool - which offers certain disadvantages from a psychological standpoint - but there are ways it can be used effectively to block an attack.
The basic Monadnock training course for these batons is only 4-hours, making it easier to learn - which is especially attractive to Contract Security companies. There are not as many nuances to using an expandable baton as there are to a PR-24, so the training and the employment are technically easier. I just don't think it is quite as versatile - but that is only my opinion.
From a psychological perspective, the baton overall offers a disadvantage over other forms of compliance tools. Every person, at some point in their life - even if only as a child - has had someone come after them with a bat or a stick.
Because this is something that is familiar to us, even if in the distant past, we have elements of defense to draw on. We know that we can use our arms to take the blow, or that there are other defensive maneuvers we can use to attempt to disarm the person holding the stick. Truly belligerent subjects can be expected to use these defensive techniques.
When using the baton to gain pain compliance, be prepared for the subject to resist.
No one - even a criminal in the act of resisting arrest - likes to have a bat or a stick used against them. It angered you as a child, now as an adult to have someone try it again!?#%! Do you see what I mean?
The anger from having that pulled on them may help fuel their resistance. It is important to practice excellent and total Command Presence in order to negate this as much as possible.
Other pain compliance tools do not offer familiar defenses to the subject in question. Most people have never faced OC, so they don't know of any defense against it. Having a gun pointed at them leaves them with almost no options - but is appropriate only in life threatening situations. A happy median may be the stun baton. It is more effective from a psychological perspective, but perhaps a little more difficult to actually employ.