It is not necessary anymore to explain nowadays what the telescopic baton is. Not only that many people carry it regularly every day for their protection, but it became also often a part of the equipment of many of those, who perform their demanding work in the security sector. More recently, this very compact and efficient device from the ESP is being completed by new user accessories, which expand further the borders of its practical options and make thus the telescopic baton made by the company Eurosecurity Products an almost multifunctional tool.

The advantages of the so-called "telescopes" are now quite obvious. Carrying of a small longitudinal subject, which is instantly turned by a rapid movement into a solid steel rod, gives certainly people a great advantage in the case of dangerous violent confrontation. Many people therefore carry permanently this practical object on their belt, or at least put their baton in the pocket or bag when they know that they will have to pass through the problematic areas or will walk the in the dark. Telescopic batons have also their permanent place behind many doors of flats or in car doors as a preventative measure. No wonder. Even persons of weaker physical constitution can eliminate physically very strong aggressive persons thanks to the telescopic baton. That means that the telescopic baton “adds” in its own way even to relatively untrained person dozens of kilos of muscles and many years of training of martial arts. We could perhaps slightly modify the well-known classic saying (note: in the original it speaks about the Colt revolvers): "God created men weak and strong, yet the telescopic baton eliminated this difference”. The experience from reality of streets simply shows that even small and weak girl with this device in her hand can suddenly become very dangerous opponent.

Indisputable benefits of telescopic batons were obviously soon recognised by the state security forces. The trend of equipment of modern police forces no only in the U.S., but increasingly also in Europe, is therefore clear. Telescopic batons in holders attached to the police belts become more and more natural part of the police outfit. And even in many EU countries, which anyone could hardly consider as countries with lack of democracy or with tendencies to police brutality – such as Spain, France, and many others, including the United Kingdom. Even in this conservative country known this more advanced equipment gains the ground. British "Bobbies", i.e. traditional patrolmen already several years ago put away their traditional wooden "truncheons". Their present outfit with the new telescopic versions of batons much better fulfil the image of the law enforcement officers of the third millennium. In this manner all the would-be humanistic arguments of opponents of this modern and extremely efficient device are progressively fading away. This modern equipment celebrated recently a similar success in our country as well. Similarly as in the world the "telescope" became in our country also an increasingly common tool of the law and order enforcement officers. The expandable batons are of course being implemented first in the most elite units (such as SWAT teams), by the President’s bodyguards and in the regional rapid intervention teams.

Afterwards use this equipment gradually expands. It is used e.g. by the "Air marshals” (i.e. the air plane escorts), by special police unit, or by various security and detective services. Today the list of units using this practical device increasingly expands, and moreover according to many signs even low level police and security completely replace their currently used classical batons or tonfas with telescopic batons. At present there the ESP telescopic batons are commonly used in Prague by the police "street" patrolmen - for example by the motorised emergency unit. Many expandable ESP batons now are used nowadays by the officers of the Customs administration, Military police and Prison Service. Similar modernisation is also at present underway in several municipal police units.

To serve and protect

The causes of increasing popularity of this device for police forces are obvious. Compact dimensions in the folded state allow comfortable concealed carrying of this highly effective device. In the holder attached to the belt or in tactical vest it obstructs much less than traditional clumsy, and much less practical, "batons with a transverse handle”. The "Telescope", as it is more and more often confirmed by the views of many police officers is not only more “energetic”, but also much more flexible. In the first place it does not obstruct you when it is not being directly used and is only carried in the folded state. Compared to the clumsy and nowadays somewhat obsolete tonfa it obstructs much less your movements (for example when climbing the fence, when kneeling down or even when turning over on the ground...). This means that policeman has it always at hand when he just may need it the most. At the critical moments of confrontational situation the batons do not lie behind in the car, or even in the locker at the police station (as it is often the case of the above-mentioned tonfas). Another advantage is the fact that the baton in its fodled state is quite inconspicuous, and can be hardly seen especially on the black and blue police uniform. A policeman with such discreet device on his belt gives a much less impression repressive than policeman carrying long truncheon, which is typical rather for some persecution forces in totalitarian countries. According to public opinion of the Western countries the somewhat historical tonfas or other massive obsolete "truncheons" give such rather negative impressions.

Moreover, after a single strike of the telescopic baton directed virtually anywhere (including limbs) usually ultimately terminates any conflict, in contrast to the dozens of blows, which in past had to be exerted in order to pacify more resistant individuals (especially those under the influence of alcohol or drugs) by the police officers equipped with much lighter plastic tonfa. This paradoxically implied much greater risk of very serious injuries to the person concerned, which might have lead in the most serious cases even to death. In such situations the blows by an incomparably less effective tonfa were often directed on the opponent’s head, which in the past caused many serious problems.

This is certainly not the case of "telescopes". Not only because of the material used, but also because of the balanced design the impact on the body of the aggressor has a totally different effect - and even mere hitting the opponent’s hand usually results in a satisfactory response and it is usually not necessary to further escalate the violence. The "expandable baton", as it is called in the U.S., is intended not only for the very effective strikes or covers, but also for surprisingly effective fixations, levers and grips that may be easily applied even to physically very strong persons. This may mean in practice taking away or restraining of huge and strong drunkard without a risk of injury to his health. Moreover very often it is not even necessary use the baton. As it was evidenced by numerous practical experience "on the street", the very appearance of the "telescope" on the scene may prevent any further continuation of an intervention, and other escalation of force with all the consequences, or in the defence situation it psychologically stops the attacker from further action. Here we encounter an effect that could be rightly called "threat of the baton”. The typical metallic click, accompanying an extension of such a device, was often sufficient to "pacify" the aggressors. They usually already know very well what would be for them the consequences of use of such an effective means.

Set of tactical accessories

Telescopic baton made by the ESP is used not only as a classical device against the "live strength". Thanks to its incredible resistance it is not its only role. It can be used also as an alternative destruction "entry device". High quality steel can help in complicated situations when it is urgently necessary to make a forced entry and "use the force" against some material. These are the cases when it is vitally necessary to overcome any obstacles, be it windows or doors, to get at any cost into the vehicle, etc. by use of strokes or levering. Such possibilities of use of the baton are significantly extended by the newly developed set of practical and very useful accessories. The expandable part of the baton can be used for example as a support system for insertion of a special tactical mirror that serves for viewing the risky area, in which an armed aggressor may be hidden, as well as for other important actions. It makes it possible for example to perform pyrotechnic control of the inaccessible parts of rooms or of the bottom parts of the suspect vehicles.

The standard baton endings can be easily replaced by very practical tool - powerful diode flashlight. The policeman can use it for lighting and viewing the risky area, while he is still well prepared for a sudden defensive action. Policeman can thus at intervention effectively blind the potential offender and he has also always the baton ready for a lightning fast efficient use. The flashlight moreover withstands rough treatment as it is sufficiently resistant to falls and water penetration. Duration of lighting is dozens of hours of operation, so it can be used for example for all-night search action in the field.

A special plastic swivelling holder with adjustable suspension system was developed specially for the needs of the patrol service. Sophisticated self-locking design allows for very quick drawing of baton without the risk of falling out of the baton during normal and the most demanding activities. The swivelling system of the holder makes it possible to adjust any position of the handle according to the current needs of the policeman – it serves for better grip of the baton in action, or for example for adjusting the holder for comfortable long sitting in the vehicle.

This whole "tactical set" was several times subjected to intensive testing. Some of those very hard tests disproportionately exceeded normal use of the equipment. One of the most interesting tests was carried out by a team consisting of selected renowned experts from the different bodies of the security sector. It was often surprising how the whole set held successfully out in the demanding conditions, imitating really the roughest possible treatment. Comprehensive assessment included sometimes almost destructive experiments. The batons were used for intensive striking against metal and concrete, the flashlights fell innumerably on the hard floor or into a pool. The plastic swivelling holder was several times ran over by a car. Although at the beginning only few participants believed in some sort of sensation, the results were very surprising for majority of them - all the equipment was after all these very rough tests fully functional. Not only the baton, but also the other accessories can be therefore recommended to anyone, who wants to have at his demanding and risky service at hand such devices that never deceive him. He will thus be able to rely on them and maybe once in an extreme situation he may owe them his health, or even his life ...

Telescopic batons made by the ESP at professional hard training. Like many others, the Prague police forces now successfully use this modern equipment. Compact dimensions of the folded baton allow its very comfortable carrying during the all-day service and even transport on a vehicle seat. Rubber indented surface of the "coercive device" enables stable and firm grip, which prevents slipping of the baton and any possibility of the baton being yanked from the hand by an adversary.

Levering, holding, fixing and restraining techniques - these are just one part of intensive trainings. The baton is not used here only for striking, but far more exactly for pacification of an aggressive person, and if possible without any serious injuries. Even in such often dangerous cases the techniques of using the "telescope" sufficiently effective even against physically very strong persons and they may solve "on the street” many stalemate situations.

In practice, less standard situations are encountered, when it is necessary to rapidly create a passage through the resistant barrier. As evidenced by rich real-world experience of some interventions, this practical versatile device becomes a truly multifunctional tool. Thanks to its surprising resistance the ESP baton is usually the most accessible device for law enforcement officers. Similar usefulness of telescopic batons has already been verified by long-term and intensive use at numerous police units, not only in special intervention teams.

Group of operational deployment of the Customs administration. Tactical flashlight can be easily and quickly installed on the baton ending. A surprisingly strong light helps to safely check hazardous areas, vehicles or suspect persons. Luminous intensity can sufficiently dazzle and disorientate the suspect. In case of his attempt to attack it is usually no problem at all to eliminate effectively the enemy by the baton that is always ready for use. The folded baton moreover looks like an ordinary flashlight and its rapid extension with the following stroke is surprising even for experienced criminals. Resistance of the flashlight lamps was verified by the demanding tests more than enough. The system survived without any damage strikes of the baton into hard materials, as well as numerous folding of the baton against the ground. The test verified also duration of lighting. It was very surprising to find out that even after approximately 100 hours of continuous lighting the flashlight still functioned. Even after such time of continuous use it was for example possible to see in total darkness the face and hands of a suspect, or to check the dark staircase.

The ESP batons in the far and exotic Kongo. This ESP product, as it can be seen on the photograph, is used not only by numerous security forces of many EU states, but also in distant countries all over the world. The plastic police holder is easily and firmly attached to any belt thanks to the quick-locking system. A swivelling system gives users the option of choosing any inclination of the baton, which not only allows quick and reliable grip of the baton, but also its comfortable carrying other positions, e.g. when sitting in the vehicle. A self-locking system enables quick drawing of the baton.

The ESP police set of accessories on the belt of Latvian anti-terrorist team "Alfa". The plastic swivelling holder was particularly intensively tested during its development also on the “breakneck” assault course, when during all the activities of the course (climbing, overcoming obstacles and jumping from the heights exceeding 4 meters!) the batons never fell out of the holder and the holder and its attachment was not damaged in any way. In spite of that this special "holder" is equipped moreover with a special safeguard against accidental loss, or against pulling out of the baton by another person.

The ESP batons become more and more common device in the fight against crime and criminality also in Slovakia. The photo taken during the special course for police instructors shows pulling out of a drunk driver from the vehicle, which can be done with this new efficient device literally within few seconds.

Members of the SOG (Special Operations Group of the Czech Army) appreciate numerous tactical possibilities of use of the ESP set. Use of tactical mirror makes it possible not only to check the critical area behind the corner easily and securely or to directly detect a position of the enemy shooter, but also to perform pyrotechnic inspection of suspect vehicles.

For the agents carrying out their risky security service in the plain clothes it is not always easy to find the best way for concealed carrying of the baton. The main criteria here are comfortableness and discreetness. We have therefore developed a special steel clip, used for fixing the baton on the edging of the trousers. Many people in recent years carried their baton simply stuck behind the waist line of their trousers, but the baton was sometimes shifted in an undesirable manner. That’s why this novelty accessory was developed on an initiative that came from the security experts. It is easily installed on the baton’s rubber grip and it keeps the ESP telescopic safely in place.

At the request of the special military units a "green" version of the baton was developed with khaki colour handles. According to very positive responses namely from the Czech Army this variant is a success. Green plastic holders of the same colour for attachment on the belt are now also available. At a time when nature of many military missions abroad requires more police action than military action the ESP expandable baton is of great help.

Some of the contractors working at the local security firms in most of these "hot zones", won’t hear a word said against the “telescope”. The ESP products thus contribute to the safety of those, who according to sad statistics face the danger of terrorism most often – in this case at the routine check of the vehicle in Basra, Iraq.

The ESP baton somewhere in Afghanistan. Telescopic batons are increasingly used not only for traditional purposes, but they can be also an effective tool for foreign missions. For use in these countries a special desert colour variant was developed according to the requirements of special security teams.