20 Things Every 1970s Police Car Had That Are Completely Gone Today

In 1991, a single OSHA rule forced police departments to finally issue rubber gloves, ending a century where officers searched suspects and held bleeding men with bare hands. But that was just one of twenty pieces of gear that vanished from the 1970s duty belt forever. From the wide Sam Browne belt and the slow flap holster to the leather sap, sap gloves, brass call-box keys, and single-strap swing-out handcuffs, this video walks through the gear every patrolman carried before portable radios, trauma kits, or retention holsters existed. You'll see why the all-wool uniform, the dump pouch of loose rounds, bare-handed arrests, and even verbal-only Miranda warnings disappeared through the eighties and nineties. If you ever wore the badge, carried a sap in a back pocket, or watched a father strap on this belt before a shift, you'll want to see which piece of equipment closes out this list, and why it changed policing forever. Stick around to find out what made the final cut. 🔔 Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a story like this one. CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 1:57 #20 the Sam Browne belt 3:02 #19 The Brass Call-box Key 3:51 #18 The Flap Holster 4:44 #17 The Sap 5:42 #16 Sap Gloves 6:34 #15 The Whistle 7:31 #14 Single-strap Swing-out Handcuffs 8:26 #13 No Portable Radio 9:09 #12 The Brick Radio 10:01 #11 The Numbered Badge with No Name 10:47 #10 Mirrored Sunglasses 11:42 #9 The Leather Notebook and Pencil 12:27 #8 Bare-handed Arrests 13:20 #7 The Dump Pouch of Loose Rounds 14:06 #6 Cigarettes in the Uniform Pocket 14:57 #5 The Come-along Wristlock Tool 15:43 #4 The All-wool Uniform 16:30 #3 The Exposed Duty Weapon with No Retention 17:23 #2 Verbal-only Rights Warnings 18:12 #1 No Individual Trauma Kit #policehistory #1970spolice #dutybelt #sambrowne #flapholster #policegear #lawenforcementhistory #handcuffs #policeuniform #vintagepolice #osha #traumakit #retentionholster #mirroredsunglasses