The second handle on a police baton, called a side handle, exists to give the officer both better defensive protection and more striking leverage than a straight stick can offer. This perpendicular grip, mounted about a third of the way down the shaft, transforms a simple club into a versatile tool that can block attacks, control suspects, and deliver more powerful strikes depending on how it’s held.
How the Side Handle Works
A standard straight baton has one grip point. The side-handle design adds a second, shorter handle that sticks out at a 90-degree angle from the main shaft. This gives officers multiple ways to hold and use the same weapon. Gripping the side handle lets the long portion of the shaft rest along the forearm, essentially turning the baton into an armored splint. In that position, the officer can raise their forearm to block a punch, a kick, or even a weapon swing, with the rigid shaft absorbing the impact instead of bare skin and bone.
Flip the grip and hold the baton by the main shaft, and the side handle becomes a hooking tool. Officers can use it to catch an incoming weapon at the intersection of the handle and shaft, trapping the attacker’s arm or stick in the crook. This is far harder to do with a smooth, straight baton that offers nothing to snag against.
More Leverage for Strikes and Control
The side handle also changes the physics of swinging the baton. When an officer grips the short handle and swings, the longer shaft rotates around that pivot point with greater reach and speed at the tip. This is the same principle that makes a longer wrench easier to turn: the farther the force is applied from the pivot, the more torque it generates. Officers trained in what’s called a “power stroke” can deliver significantly harder strikes with a side-handle baton than with a straight one of similar weight.
Beyond striking, the side handle is useful for joint locks and control holds. Because the perpendicular grip gives officers a second axis of leverage, they can pin a suspect’s wrist or arm between the shaft and the handle, applying pressure with relatively little effort. Straight batons can be used for control techniques too, but the side handle makes them mechanically easier to maintain, especially against someone who is actively resisting.
Origins of the Design
The most famous side-handle baton is the PR-24, invented in 1972 by Lon Anderson. Anderson and Paul Starrett of Monadnock Lifetime Products, based in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, developed both the baton itself and the training and instructor certification programs that went with it. The New Hampshire State Police were the first agency to adopt it. The design spread rapidly through American law enforcement during the 1970s and 1980s, largely because departments saw the defensive advantages over the traditional straight nightstick. The “PR” in PR-24 stands for “Patrol Ready,” and the 24 refers to the standard 24-inch length of the shaft.
Training Requirements
A side-handle baton is more complex to use than a straight stick, and that complexity means officers need specific training to use it effectively. The techniques involve multiple grip positions, transitions between offensive and defensive stances, and precise targeting. Baton training curricula typically cover legal and moral aspects of baton use, use-of-force guidelines, target areas on the body, defensive blocking, control holds, and arrest techniques. Students are examined on both classroom knowledge and physical proficiency.
In California, for example, even private security guards who carry batons must complete a certified training course and obtain a permit from the state. While the permit itself doesn’t expire, annual refresher courses are encouraged to maintain proficiency. Law enforcement agencies generally have their own internal certification programs that are more intensive, and officers must demonstrate competence before carrying a side-handle baton on patrol.
Why Many Departments Have Moved On
Despite its advantages, the side-handle baton has become less common over the past two decades. Many departments have switched to collapsible (expandable) straight batons, which are lighter, easier to carry on a duty belt, and can be deployed with one hand. The side-handle design is bulkier and awkward to holster, and the training time required is greater. Some agencies also found that officers weren’t practicing enough to maintain the specific skills the PR-24 demands, which reduced its practical effectiveness.
That said, the side-handle baton hasn’t disappeared. Agencies that prioritize defensive capabilities still issue them, and expandable versions of the PR-24 now exist that partially solve the portability problem. The core design principle, using a perpendicular handle to multiply what a single stick can do, remains one of the more clever innovations in less-lethal force tools.