I’ve got a nephew that we are all mighty proud of, he’s worked his tail off this year to make through training and then to get one of two available Sheriff jobs in his area.
I’m a total newb at buying gifts for this occupation though. When I asked him what he wanted for Christmas he says “anything police now, tactical stuff, concealment clothing” as he is carrying now.
Any pointers or clues? I’m sure some of you out there are either in this profession or have family in it, I just need some ideas. When I look online I’m finding outlets for police items but they are all pretty generic or else already have patches on them and I don’t want to buy him something that the other guys would laugh at.
He’s up in the Northwest part of the country, where it’s damned cold too often
Based on my husband’s wish lists and various obsessions:
A good all-weather, washable jacket. Tony’s is (brand) 511 Tactical, with a nylon outer shell, zip-out hood, and fleece liner that zips out in 3 parts - vest plus sleeves. 70 kazillion pockets, plus zippers that give access to sidearms. Pricy ($300-ish at LAPolicegear.com,) but still going strong after 5 years.
Rechargeable LED flashlight: the more lumens the better. Since getting Tony one last year, we’ve saved the price in batteries twice over. For the best usage, it should have an on/off switch at the end opposite the bulb.
Gift cards for 24-hour restaurants in his patrol area.
A decent briefcase-ish bag. Available at most retail sites that cater to cops, these bags are large enough for a laptop, paperwork, etc., with a bunch of smaller pockets for everything from pens to ammo. Can range in price from $20-200.
A really heavy-duty case and clip for his cell phone. I think Tony uses an Otterbox brand one for his Droid.
Underarmor t-shirts: the best thing we’ve found to wear under a Kevlar vest. Similarly, those way-too-expensive-for-a-cop’s-budget socks designed for outdoor use. (Okay $12-20 per pair isn’t much, but it adds up a lot!)
A heavy-duty clipboard with the internal compartment for paperwork. Very handy!
You’re very welcome, and I thought of a few more smaller things that your nephew probably doesn’t even know he needs yet: those little grabbers that go on the backs of pins, nametags, etc. I don’t know what they’re really called, all the cops and soldiers I know call them “dammits,” presumably because that’s the nicest version of what you say when you lose them under the bed while trying to dress a clean uniform shirt. They’re cheap, but valuable at 4am. Also uniform stores sell a tailoring belt, made of a stretchy rubber/silicone, designed to be worn under pants to keep shirts tucked properly. And an extra power strip or two for the multitude of stuff that gets recharged between shifts - radio, body mike, etc. An extra car charger for a cell phone is also handy.
Just in case anyone needs small gifts or stocking stuffers.
A pair of waders, a pair of SERIOUS snow boots, and a pair of comfortable “who cares if these get muddy/bloody/whatever” shoes.
A portable battery charging system for his phone. They have one for iPhones that acts like a case with enough battery for hours and hours of talk time – I’m sure they’re available for other phones, too. This would be great when he’s stuck somewhere away from the car without a full charge on the phone.
Hand degreasers like Goop or Grease Monkey Wipes.
A really good thermos.
A few big fluffy towels for the trunk, and a roll of shop towels.
Bumping this thread to mention that lapolicegear.com has a pretty nice sale on a small bail-out bag through midnight Pacific: $16.99, about 2/3 off regular retail. They also have a decent sale going on some rechargeable tactical flashlights. FYI.
This is what my sister’s boyfriend said (he’s in VA so super warm stuff isn’t really a priority for him)
“a Flash light, nice gloves, a tie pin shaped like small hand cuffs, Douhgnuts or a whistle. lol”
Now, I’m assuming that’s a tie pin shaped like hand cuffs or edible donuts or a real whistle but the way I read it, he wants a tie pin shaped like donuts or a whistle and I think that I’m gonna try to find him that because he’d find it hilarious.
