Why do off duty police carry weapons?
 

Obviuously self defence.
They would not try to stop a bank robbery w a 38 snubby, would they?
What if the bad guys were about to hurt a civilian?
What is the police officer going to do with only a 38 snubby?
These are very tough questions.
Also, they don't carry hand cuffs, off duty, or do they?
Is it very rare for an off duty policeman to make an arrest?
Is it very rare for an off duty policeman to need his weapon?
Be well.

Re: Why do off duty police carry weapons?
 

I think they are mostly concerned with running into a guy they mixed with in the past.

Most cops I know - will avoid all crime when out of badge - esp when retired....they have a lot of protection when in uniform....and not much when out....and i can't say i blame them.....too many lawyers our there today ready to sue them if it goes down badly....

I've been thinking of adding a couple of sets of cuffs to my home protection package.....in my venicle i carry a half dozen super heavy duty zip ties....incase I need to restrain a bad guy.....better than shooting 'em....

Re: Why do off duty police carry weapons?
 

I think the most honest answer is
"Because they can."

Re: Why do off duty police carry weapons?
 

I asked a police man: what would you do if you were in a bank being robbed? (Off duty)
He said: Be a good witness.
Be well.

Re: Why do off duty police carry weapons?
 

When are YOU "off duty" as a citizen?
Or father? Or mother?
the answer is nobody is "off duty"
you are what you are.

Re: Why do off duty police carry weapons?
 

Probably true on or off duty. They would rather work speed traps than arrest dangerous criminals. Why risk your a$$ in a gunfight when you can write tickets for no seat belts?
Typical.

Re: Why do off duty police carry weapons?
 

My guess/conclusion:
Basically for self defence.
They are rarely targeted off duty in civilian clothes---I think...
But, obviously a concern...
They usually will not intervene to stop an armed robbery in bank or store.
(Wisely...)
Even an unarmed robber or purse snatcher might be a challange, since they are out of uniform.
It is posible that their civilian risk is greater than taxi drivers, or legal witnesses, but, I am not certain.
They are sort of "extra" armed civilians while off duty...
Be well.

Re: Why do off duty police carry weapons?
 

The reason for us to carry is for protection of ourselves and others. I've thought long and hard about what I would do if a badguy pulled a knife or gun on me and demanded my cash. Honestly, I think I would give it to him if I was convinced that's all he really wanted. Fiat is NOT worth my life nor his...no matter what.

Now if I was convinced he intended to hurt me or my family no matter what? Well then that's another story....

Bottom line, I'd probably lay low in a bank robbery also, as long as no one was getting hurt.

Re: Why do off duty police carry weapons?
 

yes, its not your money after all.. well we all no its not even money so why bother with it. Hold the door open for the guy...... no maybe not. don't want to be an accessory.

Re: Why do off duty police carry weapons?
 

How often to police officers use their weapons while off duty?
Be well.

Re: Why do off duty police carry weapons?
 

Recently here in Louisville, a woman was carjacked and held hostage, and made to perform oral sex on the perpetrator. When she saw an officer's car at an intersection, she jumped out and ran up to his car, banging on the car screaming "He's got a gun!". The officer was getting out of the car to see what was going on as the perpetrator was walking up to them pulling his gun to point it at the cop. The cop shot him dead, like he should have.

If he wasn't armed, he would be dead, probably along with her.

I don't know for sure if he was off or not, but he had a civilian in the vehicle with him, and was in a marked police car.

Also, most department policy states that an officer "must" carry a weapon off duty. In this day in time, I carry everywhere, as officers are getting killed at an alarming rate. 1 every 48 hours is killed, think about it.

Re: Why do off duty police carry weapons?
 

Well any responsible CITIZEN should carry to protect himself and his family. Citing that a cop should do it because one dies every two days due to a gunshot wound is kinda ridiculous.

According to the CDC mortality rate data for 2005 (most recenta available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr56/nvsr56_10.pdf), a US Citizen dies every 17 MINUTES from a gunshot wound.

......seems to me like it's safer to be a cop than an ordinary citizen. Perhaps because they are ARMED???

Oh and someone dies from heart disease every 25 seconds, so basically anyone can use statistics to "prove" whatever BS agenda they want, by finding something that's going to "seem" like it highlights your point.

Re: Why do off duty police carry weapons?
 

Every 48 hours is true, but not all are killed by gunshot. About 60-70 per year are killed by guns. Many are killed in traffic.

For reference, there are about 800,000 cops in the US.

Re: Why do off duty police carry weapons?
 

I have a buddy that is a city cop. The Dept here does not demand that cops carry off-duty but they encourage it, and expect cops to act as if they were on-duty in the event of witnessing a crime.


Obviously corcumstances dictate what that means. Might not draw down on 5 heavily armed bank robbers with no back and no radio, but oterh circumstances may be more reasonable to act.

Re: Why do off duty police carry weapons?
 

The OP wasn't asking about heart disease, or citizens, he was asking about cops.

I agree that all citizens that can legally carry should. I wasn't stating that fact to "prove" any "BS" agenda. I was just stating it because the OP was interested in why COPS carry guns off duty. I didn't try to justify carrying off duty for the fact that one dies every 48 hours, there was much more to the post than that. Like I said before, most departments also REQUIRE them to carry. Plus, like others said, why wouldn't you?

Re: Why do off duty police carry weapons?
 

Uh, I beg to differ.....your post said "as officers are getting killed at an alarming rate. 1 every 48 hours is killed," implying cops are getting gunned down or dying of some type of violence at the rate of 1 per 48 hours by using "killed" twice in short space......and I seriously doubt that is true. Provide source otherwise.

My guess on WHY cops carry off duty is also "because they can" and for the most part, don't have to jump thru the hoops most private citizens do to obtain concealed carry permits.....thus re-inforcing the idea that they are "first class citizens" with special privileges, and the rest of us are not.

Re: Why do off duty police carry weapons?
 

BINGO.


TA why do want shotgun shells that spew a wall of flame 100 feet?

BECAUSE I CAN.

T