Do off-duty LEO's open-carry?

[Montell C. Williams]

When I was still working Dept. regs required guns to be concealed when not in uniform and you had to qualify with off-duty gun and ammo twice a year. These were Dept. regs, not law.

[Thekatar]

This is an excellent thread, probably a real eye-opener for many.

It's always great to see what happens when practice intersects with theory.

[jackbauer]

Totally understood!

Until you have been in a shooting situation, it is hard for most to understand the element of surprise. Been there, and it saved my life!

I NEVER open carry, (except in uniform), and i'm glad someone agrees that the element of suprise is paramount. I'm an active police officer who lives in Pa. and works in Baltimore Shitty. I mean City.

[jackbauer]

Totally understood!

Until you have been in a shooting situation, it is hard for most to understand the element of surprise. Been there, and it saved my life!

I NEVER open carry, (except in uniform), and I'm glad someone agrees that the element of suprise is paramount. I'm an active police officer who lives in Pa. and works in Baltimore Shitty. I mean City.

[MarcS]

This is an excellent thread, probably a real eye-opener for many.

It's always great to see what happens when practice intersects with theory.

Yes, i think this thread has been quite telling.

[Log9mm]

Last semester there was a professor at my school teaching some kind of criminal justice class in plain clothes with a badge and a glock on his hip. I wasn't in the class so I don't know for sure if he was a uniformed officer off duty or some kind of detective. Obviously he is probably the latter and dresses like that at work everyday, but he could just be a regular cop. This post does not exactly add a great amount of substance to this thread, but it was interesting seeing someone open carry on a college campus.

[policemedic]

My directives require me to conceal my weapon when carrying off-duty. That gets fractured occasionally by a lot of guys (quick runs into WaWa in the summer, for example) but not often. When I do something like that, my badge is always visible and I conduct my self as if I were in uniform, because I basically am.

Personally, I prefer to conceal it and agree that surprise is a great thing.

[HiredGoon]

Hi Guys. As the OP of this thread I'm glad it has been well received and that we have learned some things from it...interesting reading. Thanks to those LEOs who have/will respond(ed).

[wboggs]

In a place where OC is normal, then anyone can just fit in.

With the exception of your gun club or a mom and pop gun store, where is open carry normal? Seems to me open carry kind of went out with the Cowboys and Indians.

This is why I scratch my head about this subject; it is often times talked about as if we still jump on our horse and ride down to the saloon for a shot of whiskey. So I expect the answer to my question to be enlightening. At least my quoted statement acknowledges that open carry doesn't "fit in".

AND UNDERSTAND BEFORE ANYBODY CLIMBS DOWN MY THROAT ABOUT THIS; I AM EVERY BIT A SUPPORTER OF OUR RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS AS YOU ARE. I just cant understand how in today's society people are shocked by drawing unwanted attention for open carrying in WalMart, for example.

[MarcS]

With the exception of your gun club or a mom and pop gun store, where is open carry normal? Seems to me open carry kind of went out with the Cowboys and Indians.

I believe you got the gist of his statement.