Off Duty Carry?

[Trooper4985]

Do you carry everywhere or just at work? The instinct to act is always there no matter what if you are a cop.... well... I should say if you were meant to be a cop... I've met guys on the road who weren't meant to be cops but made it through the local 'dog and pony show' academy. Back on track... do you carry everywhere off duty where alcohol is not involved or do you only carry when you go certain places? I ask because I went to a pro football game the other day and I was 'patted down'... I don't know what they were looking for because they wouldn't have found anything but that's another issue.

Would you carry going to a major sporting event? I thing they are looking for people with Camelbaks full of alcohol not someone with a gun in their waistband.

[TPD506]

I carry virtually everyplace I go. I want to be in a position that if need be I'm ready, able and willing to act. But I also know that I have a cheif, city, and county attorney that will back me if I end up in a shooting.

I think the biggest thing you need to find out is what your department feels about carrying, and how well they will back you if you get into a situation.

[edg103]

State of Texas: Code of Criminal Procedure
Art. 2.13. [37] [44] [45] Duties and powers

(a) It is the duty of every peace officer to preserve the peace
within the officer's jurisdiction. To effect this purpose, the
officer shall use all lawful means.

(b) The officer shall:

(1) in every case authorized by the provisions of this Code,
interfere without warrant to prevent or suppress crime;

(2) execute all lawful process issued to the officer by any
magistrate or court;

(3) give notice to some magistrate of all offenses committed within
the officer's jurisdiction, where the officer has good reason to
believe there has been a violation of the penal law; and

(4) arrest offenders without warrant in every case where the
officer is authorized by law, in order that they may be taken before
the proper magistrate or court and be tried.

No where in there does it state that an officer is exempt when "off duty". I personally carry as often as possible.

[Josey Wales]

Trooper4985,

I've met guys on the road who weren't meant to be cops but made it through the local 'dog and pony show' academy.

What the hell is a "dog and pony show academy?" Would that be a traffic officer type thing?

It seems like your fews years as a traffic cop have gone to you head!

JW

[kpd932]

My last department did not allow us to carry a dept issued weapon off-duty and they would not qualify us with a weapon that was not dept issued. They made it clear they would not support us in anything we did off-duty. I still carried off duty, especially after HR-218.

[Delta784]

Unless I'm going to be consuming alcohol (and a major sporting event would qualify in that regard), I have it within arms reach 24/7.

[Delta784]

What the hell is a "dog and pony show academy?" Would that be a traffic officer type thing?

It seems like your fews years as a traffic cop have gone to you head!

JW....haven't you figured it out yet that most state police war stories are about their academy?

[6233108]

Rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6 regardless of alcohol consumption (my max these days is three beers due to a medical condition).

[Josey Wales]

Delta,

No, I haven't, but I can learn something new every darn day!!!

I see only bad outcomes from division; benefits flow from cohesion!

Troper4985 ought to be supporting his brothers in uniform, not deriding them!


Stay safe,

JW

[airbrne74]

Unless I'm going to be consuming alcohol (and a major sporting event would qualify in that regard), I have it within arms reach 24/7.

Same here!
And I struggle......oops! I meant, I try not to go out and drink often.

[Mike 842]

4985, When off-duty, you'll find as time goes by that you only want to get involved in "life-or death" instances, other than that, be a good citizen/witness and call it in and let the on-duty agency handle it. As far as carrying a weapon, I've carried a firearm 24/7 for the last 30+ years. I'm a firm believer that it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

[wgb]

My last department did not allow us to carry a dept issued weapon off-duty and they would not qualify us with a weapon that was not dept issued. They made it clear they would not support us in anything we did off-duty. I still carried off duty, especially after HR-218.

Sounds like my current agency the Dept of Veterans Affairs Police. They encourage off duty carry but will not allow us to carry the company gun.They have decided they do not have to qualify us with an off duty gun as long as our issue qualification is current because the law doesn't specifically state non retireed officers have to be qualified with the gun they carry.

[Trooper4985]

4985, When off-duty, you'll find as time goes by that you only want to get involved in "life-or death" instances, other than that, be a good citizen/witness and call it in and let the on-duty agency handle it. As far as carrying a weapon, I've carried a firearm 24/7 for the last 30+ years. I'm a firm believer that it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

I was the good witness and called something in a year ago... that burned me so I'm not even calling anything in anymore. I very seldom carry off duty... it's more if I'm comming back from shooting and stopping at the store on the way home. I think about Investigator Parisian and similar incidents and think I should carry 'just in case' but never think about when I'm walking out the door...

Trooper4985,

What the hell is a "dog and pony show academy?" Would that be a traffic officer type thing?

It seems like your fews years as a traffic cop have gone to you head!

JW

Unfortunately for you... you obviously know nothing about what a NYS Trooper does... Read our webpage and stuff you find on the internet about us... We are a full service agency... We are the ONLY LE in some parts of the state.... You must not have been paying attention to any of my earlier posts where I make refrence to some academies being too college like and not enough like basic training like they should be.

[Mike 842]

A street cop has a different mindset. You can have your weapon with you a million times , and hopefully , never need it, but what about that millionth and 1, when billy bad axx decides to jack you for your vehicle, or your watch, or your date and sees your Police I.D.? It will matter not what agency you're with ,to him you're "5 0" and your'e a threat to his freedom. You're NOT going to be able to say "Timeout, I left my gun at home!" In this job, you do NOT get do-overs, that's why it's been stressed to you we look out for each other , that's what the "thin blue line " is ,it's all that separates society from anarchy.We have to stick together and respect each other and be there for each other, If you get in a jam, it's going to be a zone unit or Sgt. coming to you, it's NOT going be any of your administration or academy people that advocate there is no brotherhood.

[Trooper4985]

We have to stick together and respect each other and be there for each other, If you get in a jam, it's going to be a zone unit or Sgt. coming to you, it's NOT going be any of your administration or academy people that advocate there is no brotherhood.

As much as some of you would like to think I look down upon those who don't wear the same uniform that I do... I don't. I posted an analogy about colleges and police agencies a while ago... Some people goto Ivy League colleges and some goto State Universities... Both groups are getting a college level education but one is going to be recruited to a mid level position at a Fortune 500 company right out of school and the other is going to start out in the mailroom of the Fortune 500 company... I'll let you guess which is which. I'm sure in some states the State Police might not be the top notch agency that it is in NY... according to my buddy who works in Iowa... the county SO's are the place to work... In NY... 1000's of people try to become Troopers and only a couple hundred earn the title. The fact that guys who are already Officers or Deputies, apply and get shot down has to say something about NYSP requirements or the local agency requirements or both.