There was a post by a LEO going on vacation asking about the laws regarding carrying a gun in NYC. This made me curious and I didn’t want to clutter up that thread with my question. I’m just curious. Why would a law enforcement officer carry a gun while on vacation in another city?
Input from any 'Doper LEOs on this would be greatly appreciated!
Bri2k
Since the OP is asking for opinions, I’ve moved the thread to IMHO.
One of the gripes to me by a Canadian customs official is that police officers from the USA more often than not try to bring their handguns into Canada when they head here on vacation, despite our prohibition.
I have a friend who’s brother was a Canadian police officer. One time while on vacation in the US, he got pulled over for speeding or some such thing. When the US officer who pulled him over found out he was a cop, he started asking what kind of gun he was carrying. When the Canadian cop said he didn’t have one, being on vacation and all, the US cop offered him one of his…
Welcome to the United States! Where everyone and their little sister is carrying!
Though, I do recall reading somewhere that non-citizens that are not permanent residents might not actually be allowed to possess firearms here.
IAMNALEO, but I would proffer that anyone that regularly carries a gun on their person feels a bit naked without it.
I am more of a law violator than enforcer in general, but I would carry a gun on vacation for the same reason I carry one when not on vacation, namely personal protection.
As an ex-cop, I can tell you what every cop and every reasonably educated armed citizen knows and thinks about several times an hour: bad guys can be anywhere at anytime. It’s really that simple.
Despite some evidence to the contrary, I think the world (the USA) is more dangerous now than ever. I wish I could let my kids roam like I did, but it’s just (possibly) not safe.
I have CCW permits from GA, FL, and others, such that reciprocity agreements cover me to carry in virtually any state. I don’t know where my next travels will take me, but I know I will carry a firearm or two, and my family and I will be safer because of it.
Yes, the likelihood of encountering trouble in Kansas is about the same in Georgia; on a person-by-person basis it’s negligible, but not zero.
That’s why prepared people carry protection. You just don’t know when and where trouble will arise.
More directly to the OP - some agencies require their officers to carry 24/7, 365, no matter where (in the country) they roam.
I know it’s IMHO and all, but this begs for some sort of cite.
…
I assume that people who drive oversized pickup trucks and SUVs tend to rent them when they travel, those who wear toupees make sure they have extras in their carryon, and those who take Enzyte on a regular basis make sure their “prescription” is up to date.
Those who vacation in thuggish areas excepted, of course.
Thanks for the reply, ducati. On another thread is was said that many law enforcement agencies “strongly suggest” their officers carry a gun off-duty, but I had no idea this was sometimes a requirement.
As a civilian, I like to “leave my work at the office” when not on the clock, so I figured even LEOs might feel the same way. Perhaps there’s a different ethic in that line of work I’m ignorant of. I’ve done a little target shooting and to have to carry a gun around all the time would seem an inconvenience.
I’d like to request everyone try to keep this thread on topic. I’m not looking for opinions on guns either way, just honest answers from those who might know.
One last question: is it common or even expected that an off-duty LEO from another jurisdiction jump into a situation where they’d need a gun or should they call 911 and let the local police handle it? While this is often used as a plot device in crime dramas, what’s the actual “best practice” or is that left up to the judgement of the individual?
Thanks again for giving the rest of us a glimpse into a field few of us outsiders know much about.
Bri2k
I barely carry off duty anymore… and I’m damn not sure carrying on vacation…
I do remember that New Jersey had a battle going with NYPD about this shit… i got warned when i went on vacation years ago…
Most states have reciprocity and as long as you’re not acting like a damn fool most are cool with it…
Imagine that you are sitting in bail court, just watching the show. A madam is trying to bail out one of her girls. She complains that her girls had a service-for-service deal with a certain defence counsel, such that in exchange for their services, he would represent them as necessary. The Justice of the Peace found the assertion rather doubtful, so the madam pulled a toupee out of her purse and said that the defence counsel had mistakenly forgotten it when visiting the girls that previous weekend. It was at that moment that the defence counsel in question walked into the courtroom, bald as a bee. Moral of the story: always keep a spare toupee handy if you are into hookers. I suppose the same could be said for LAOs: always keep a spare handgun handy if you live in the USA.
If an LEO wants to vacation in Westworld he should bring all his guns!
Having several LEO’s in my family, I’ve only noticed two reasons why they would carry on vacation. For most it’s because they are going to be spending part of that time in a truly dangerous area. For a minority, it’s because they have an inferiority complex and their gun acts as a security blanket/notification of how tough they are.
This cannot possibly be true unless certain departments forbid their officers from ever consuming alcohol, going swimming, flying on planes, driving to Canada or Mexico, etc.
I personally know members of the FBI, Secret Service & the Criminal arm of the ATF who are required & do carry every where.
" some agencies" is not the same as “a local small town”…
I have no idea where or what the LEO’s who post here are but when I nit pick, I try to cover all the bases…
PS: the cranky old FBI man I am thinking of has very recently carried on an Airliner to NYC & they do not & will not say squat to him…
Now a fight between NYC & NJ is just normal.
If NYC is always and asshat to all LEO’s from all the rest of the US, I rather think that the cooperation they would get over the years from the rest of the US of A would decline to the point that even we would know about .
Now TSA folks, they just ain’t got good sense nor any knowledge of local law. All bets are off with them. Except ‘ole cranky’ they do not mess with him. he he he
Personally, I do not think anything is worth going to NYC for ever…
YMMV
My brother is a LEO and he carries his gun everywhere (including vacations and church). Of course, before he was a cop he carried everywhere too, so there’s that.
Also, according to him, he’s never not a cop; he may be off the clock but he’s never “off duty” so to speak. If he sees a crime being committed anywhere in the state, he is obligated to step in and (I guess) can even arrest people whether or not he’s on the clock. I don’t know how that would work in real life, however.
While I don’t agree with the theory that guns make everyone safer, it’s fairly well established that crime around airports and other vacation areas is actually pretty high. If you believe that guns make you safer*, then it pretty much follows you should bring one on vacation.
*I’ll even allow that it’s probable that possessing a handgun, as a trained professional, is much more likely to ensure said professional’s safety, than the hypothetical protection that it offers a random civilian.
You’re obligated to take action… action can include dialing 911 on your cellphone and giving accurate information. If for example I’m with my kids and a couple of armed guys come in to take down the restaurant… hitting up the local pd on my cell will have to do… absolutely no way would i risk my kids by engaging in an armed conflict… Something recently happened in Utah in a shopping mall… You have to use your judgement and be able to articulate it… but in no way does that badge ensure that I have to embark on a suicide mission…
I’m and ARIES, and I don’t own a gun.
One of the reasons off-duty LEOs carry guns is that people may well know that they’re off-duty LEOs. If they didn’t carry off-duty, they’d be targets. That’s not going to apply so much if they’re vacationing a thousand miles from home, obviously, but it’s still a factor.
Also, if a cop is traveling to someplace dangerous*, the sidearm will make them feel safer. Remember, you’re dealing with someone here who is highly trained and regularly certified in the use of that gun. This isn’t Joe Blow who bought a pistol and doesn’t know where the safety is.
There was an interesting case in the town we used to live in. The basketball coach at the school also happened to be the police chief in a neighboring town. The school was a “no firearms” zone (in Montana, even a concealed carry permit won’t let you carry on school property), yet his contract as police chief required him to be armed at all times. As I recall, he argued that a gun in his car was potentially more dangerous than a gun on his hip where he could keep an eye on it.