ride-a-long with a CCW. Thought i

[Feb2nd1979]

I normally hate civilian ride-a-longs. I got "stuck" with one on Saturday night. Before meeting him I was told he is very pro-cop and pro-military. He was an older gentelman in his 60s. He was short, a little over weight and walked with a limp. Very nice man, and this was his first ride.

While in our rear lot, I was showing him how to use all the equipment in the veh., he told me he had a CCW. I didn't have any issues with him carring, called my Sgt and he didn't either (I'm for CCW's and belive if you qualify, they should be more readily avaiible.) So we pull up to his truck and I see a vietnam veteran medal sticker on the back of the window. We get to talking and I found out he was a former navy seal who did 3 tours in Vietnam. We talked for hours about his war experience and how it was for him after the war. He had some awsome stories of things he went through. Firefights, getting attacked, getting shot with an AK. He told me a story where he had to cut a guys throat, and then told me how he couldnt talk about this story for the first 18 years because of how tramatic it was for him.

I work grave yards (1800 - 0630) and about 0100 he was getting tired. I wanted him to stay the intire shift. I take him back to his vehicle and he thanked me and I thanked him for his service. He told me he had a great time and he has a diffrent perspective on a cops job now, but I believe I was the lucky one.

[avalon42]

I normally hate civilian ride-a-longs. I got "stuck" with one on Saturday night. Before meeting him I was told he is very pro-cop and pro-military. He was an older gentelman in his 60s. He was short, a little over weight and walked with a limp. Very nice man, and this was his first ride.

While in our rear lot, I was showing him how to use all the equipment in the veh., he told me he had a CCW. I didn't have any issues with him carring, called my Sgt and he didn't either (I'm for CCW's and belive if you qualify, they should be more readily avaiible.) So we pull up to his truck and I see a vietnam veteran medal sticker on the back of the window. We get to talking and I found out he was a former navy seal who did 3 tours in Vietnam. We talked for hours about his war experience and how it was for him after the war. He had some awsome stories of things he went through. Firefights, getting attacked, getting shot with an AK. He told me a story where he had to cut a guys throat, and then told me how he couldnt talk about this story for the first 18 years because of how tramatic it was for him.

I work grave yards (1800 - 0630) and about 0100 he was getting tired. I wanted him to stay the intire shift. I take him back to his vehicle and he thanked me and I thanked him for his service. He told me he had a great time and he has a diffrent perspective on a cops job now, but I believe I was the lucky one.

Glad to hear it, though I'm surprised your agency allowed him to carry while on the ride-along. At least he wasn't one of the Open Carry guys.

[Futurelaw89]

Woww..what a great experience. I'm a bit jealous



Futurelaw

[BD0883]

Very cool experience! I can only imagine how much knowledge that he had to share.

[L-1]

I would be reluctant to allow a ride along to carry, but only because of a bad experience we had a few years ago.

We had a US Marine who was about to be discharged from the service do a ride along. Prior to going out he got the standard briefing about not getting involved and letting the officers handle things, but he was also told how to unlock the shotgun if it looked like his life was in imminent danger.

A few hours into the shift, our units got into a pursuit of a vehicle wanted for a violent crime. At the termination point there were more than sufficient units and departmental personnel to handle the matter, but as we watched helicopter news coverage on TV, we couldn't figure out who the plain clothes guy was with the shotgun holding the suspects at gunpoint. Turned out our ride along's Marine training switched to autopilot, he unlocked the shotgun, drew down on the suspects and became a participant in the matter.

We all admired his willingness to participate and protect our officers and he earned mucho brownie points with us. However, when it came to use of force, his Marine training involved different rules of engagement than ours and we were worried that he might blow the suspects away for something that would hold up in combat but not so well under state law. He was also untrained in our procedures for high risk stops and removing armed suspects from a car, making it difficult to coordinate our efforts. In addition, had a firefight broken out when there were sufficient police personnel present to handle the matter, it would have been hard to explain to our brass how we allowed a civilian to open fire when our procedures call for them to retreat to a position of safety.

[DAL]

There are departments where official policy will not allow off-duty officers from another department in the same state to carry.

[CAleo]

There are departments where official policy will not allow off-duty officers from another department in the same state to carry.

My Dept is one of those.

[Feb2nd1979]

There are departments where official policy will not allow off-duty officers from another department in the same state to carry.

I understand for the liabilitiy reasons some departments do this. Definately not my departments policy. We had a deputy ( working custody ) do a ride, who was possibly thinking about lateraling. Our watch commander was in breifing and he ask her if she had her gun on her. She said No, because her OWN dept won't let her carry when she is on rides with their patrol. The WC made her get her gun before we went 10-8.

[pulicords]

We had a deputy ( working custody ) do a ride, who was possibly thinking about lateraling. Our watch commander was in breifing and he ask her if she had her gun on her. She said No, because her OWN dept won't let her carry when she is on rides with their patrol. The WC made her get her gun before we went 10-8.

This is pretty much the way our department would handle it too. Civilian ride alongs have been present and even killed when unexpected situations turned sour. We'd much rather have an armed LEO as a ridealong, than a dead or wounded officer and witness. If one is trained and qualified to CCW on the street, then (at most) a few minutes of briefing before going into the field can done to avoid any problems.

[DCH]

I just got a few more grey hairs reading this thread...


..holy moses!

[avalon42]

This is pretty much the way our department would handle it too. Civilian ride alongs have been present and even killed when unexpected situations turned sour. We'd much rather have an armed LEO as a ridealong, than a dead or wounded officer and witness. If one is trained and qualified to CCW on the street, then (at most) a few minutes of briefing before going into the field can done to avoid any problems.

Just for LEOs right? Every dept I've been to would not allow civilians (CCW or not)to attend briefing because LE sensitive info was exchanged...

[LS1Blue]

Just for LEOs right? Every dept I've been to would not allow civilians (CCW or not)to attend briefing because LE sensitive info was exchanged...

No, not really. I attended all the briefings on all the ride-a-longs I went on. Pretty informative. Also, a couple officers showed me how to unlock the 870, in case things went south. "Drop him, before he drops me" according to one officer.

[richjorg]

I rode with LASPD. I went to the briefing, was told how to utilize the shotgun and rode the entire shift plus the extra 2 hours it took to book a turd another unit arrested. The LAPD would not allow me to witness the booking though. I sat in the lobby for those 2 hours.

[Garbage Man]

I understand for the liabilitiy reasons some departments do this. Definately not my departments policy. We had a deputy ( working custody ) do a ride, who was possibly thinking about lateraling. Our watch commander was in breifing and he ask her if she had her gun on her. She said No, because her OWN dept won't let her carry when she is on rides with their patrol. The WC made her get her gun before we went 10-8.

Sounds like your is a pretty Old School PD. I mean that in a good way. All we do is tell ridealongs that they must wear clothing they can run like Hell in.

But the most important part is that you got to meet a true living piece of History. A partner of mine has just had a book written about his Uncle who is a Bataan death march survivor. We are surrounded by some amazing folks, we just dont know it, because Paris Hilton and Kim Kardasian, can become a celebrity for doing God knows what, but just being a true, larger than life, hero gets you a cup of coffee at starbucks if you also have $5.00.,

[DAL]

Rather than liability concerns, my biggest concern about a ride-along carrying a weapon is that he might be mistaken for an armed suspect. That could easily happen with a large department or where the ride-along was not at briefing. A rider who is a law-enforcement officer is liable to act like one without thinking about it.