A complete riot gear inventory covers ten distinct equipment categories. Departments that treat any of these as optional often discover the gap at a deployment when there is no time to address it. This checklist covers what belongs in every department's kit and why.
1. Riot Helmet with Face Shield
The highest-priority item. Protects the head and face from thrown objects, which cause the most serious injuries in crowd control situations. Should meet NIJ 0104.02 guidelines. Available in bubble and straight face shield configurations; the bubble provides better peripheral vision. View Helmets →
2. Riot Suit
Full torso and limb coverage. Match the suit to the deployment context: Enforcer MP for full-coverage riot operations, Patrol suit for pre-escalation or mixed community and crowd situations. Both available in XS through XXL. View Suits →
3. Tactical Gloves
Hands are among the most frequently injured body parts in crowd control situations. Kevlar-lined or hard knuckle gloves protect against impact and cuts without sacrificing dexterity for equipment operation. Size across the full team; glove fit is one of the most commonly neglected sizing considerations. View Gloves →
4. Polycarbonate Shield
The 24x36 is the standard for most line positions. The 24x48 extends lower-body coverage for positions with specific exposure. Both are 4mm riot-grade polycarbonate, GA294-2001 compliant, from Paulson Manufacturing. View Shields →
5. Anti-Riot Baton
The 28-inch with wrist lanyard handles the majority of crowd control deployments. The 34-inch provides extended reach for line formations. Polycarbonate construction throughout. View Batons →
6. Limb Kit
For officers who need rapid deployment protection without the time to don a full suit. Attaches over standard attire in under two minutes. Extenders available for officers outside standard limb length range. View Limb Kit →
7. Gear Bag
A kit that cannot be transported and donned quickly is a kit that will not be fully used when deployment time is short. Riot suit backpacks and wheeled deployable bags in multiple sizes. The 5-shield transport bag handles shield logistics for full teams. View Bags →
8. Replacement Face Shields
Any face shield that takes a direct impact should be replaced before the next deployment, regardless of visible condition. Internal micro-fractures are not detectable without close inspection. Replacement shields for the HG-HMAT helmet and standard riot helmets are stocked separately. View Parts →
9. Hydration and Cooling
Extended deployments create heat stress that degrades officer performance. The Enforcer MP integrates a hydration bladder and cooling gel pack system rated for four hours of active cooling. For officers wearing other configurations, the standalone hydration pack attaches to MOLLE platforms. View Accessories →
10. Identification and Body Camera Attachments
Officers in riot gear need to be identifiable as law enforcement from all angles, and body camera positioning must be maintained under physical stress. The Enforcer MP's 4-way ID system and body camera attachment points are built into the suit rather than added externally. Departments using other suit configurations should verify their identification and camera mounting solutions before deployment.