A baton, alternatively referred to as a shock baton, stun baton, security baton, or tactical baton, served as a close-quarters combat weapon. Its primary users were law enforcement officers for self-defense purposes and to manage crowds.
While fundamentally melee weapons, batons could be augmented with a Stun feature. This addition allowed for the temporary incapacitation of living targets through the generation of a visible electrical discharge along the baton's length.
The Coruscant Security Force, including its GU-series Guardian police droids, and the Mandalorian Guard carried batons. They were also used by police officers. In addition, Clone riot troopers belonging to the Coruscant Guard were equipped with these weapons while on duty on Coruscant. During Governor Ubrik Adelhard's Iron Blockade of the Anoat sector, both stormtroopers and Imperial "Riot" Cadets employed batons. Gial Ackbar, the Captain of the Mon Calamari Guard, wielded a unique baton capable of firing blaster bolts during the Clone Wars.
At the Narkina 5 Imperial Prison Complex, prison guards utilized zap rods to control the prisoners. During the Narkina 5 prison escape, escaping prisoners turned these zap rods against their captors.
Jyn Erso received truncheon training from Saw Gerrera at his base located on Wrea. Later, she acquired a pair of collapsible truncheons from Five Points, which she subsequently used on Jedha in combat against stormtroopers.
Grand Admiral Thrawn possessed his own personal combat baton.
Mercurial Swift, a bounty hunter, carried a pair of specialized batons. These batons featured concussive capabilities on one end and electric discharge on the other, enabling Swift to switch between lethal and non-lethal stun settings. One of Swift's batons was further modified to include a hypoinjector for administering poison.
The First Order's riot control stormtroopers were equipped with the Z6 riot control baton, which incorporated collapsible vanes and could resist blows from a lightsaber. Vi Moradi, a spy for the Resistance, owned a specialized tactical baton that had proven invaluable in numerous dangerous situations.