Good to Know even if your not a LEO

[larrymeyer]

http://www.officer.com/web/online/Operations-and-Tactics/Off-Duty---Then-Act-Like-It/3$40413

Off Duty - Then Act Like It! Know Your Limitations


Posted: Monday, March 3, 2008
Updated: March 3rd, 2008 06:43 AM EDT

John Wills

Handcuffs, Weapon & Badge: all three are important!



JOHN WILLS
Training Contributor



Off duty, on duty, where do you draw the line? Some departments send an ambiguous message to their officers so that one is never really certain about just how much we should interject ourselves into a situation. There are some departments that have policies stating that an officer must be armed and "on duty" 24 hours a day. Other departments leave carrying a firearm off duty up to the discretion of the individual officer. But does the mere fact of carrying a firearm off duty mean that you should still act in the capacity of a police officer? Not necessarily.

Back in February of 2007, Master Officer Kenneth Hammond of the Ogden, Utah PD, found himself embroiled in an incident in a local shopping mall. Hammond had just finished a romantic Valentine's Day dinner with his pregnant wife. Getting involved in a gun battle was probably the last thing on his mind at that point. However, that's exactly what happened to this six year veteran, who thankfully had the ingrained habit of carrying his .45 off duty. In a nutshell, he rightly got involved and probably saved some lives in the process. Hindsight being 20/20, he later lamented the fact that he had not carried an extra magazine. Furthermore, what of the fact that he did not have any police ID displayed or any handcuffs with him? This is not to denigrate Hammond's actions on that day, for he is truly a hero, but "what ifs" are big parts of police work, especially as it relates to having a plan.

Whether or not an officer thinks that he may involve himself in off duty police work, there are three things that he should always carry: firearm, handcuffs, and police ID. These three items are the meat and potatoes of police work - one without the other causes us to be less than fully effective. Would you go on duty without one of these? I hope not, for you would quickly see the folly of your actions. So how does not carrying these items off duty differ from carrying them on duty?

How often do we shoot people? For many of us the answer is never. Compare that to how often we put our hands on people, or direct them to submit to our authority, and you have a huge disparity in numbers. That being said, what good is having that gun without a pair of cuffs? Criminals today know that we are not going to shoot them, unless lives are at risk, so without cuffing them how do we stop or restrain them? Just because you announce your office to someone does not mean they will submit to your authority. Handcuffs become an issue here as on-duty personnel could be a long time in arriving. What do we do in the meantime - hold them at gunpoint? Thugs know better.

What of the ID issue? It should go without saying that the gun and badge are synergistic - they go together; one has little impact without the other. But an officer cannot have that ID tucked away in a sock or purse. The badge should ideally be in a belt clip worn right next to the gun. Worn in that manner, it causes us to be readily identifiable to either the general public or other law enforcement. As was the case with Officer Hammond in his off duty incident, his ID was tucked away in a back pocket; he felt he did not have the time to bring it out. Having that badge right next to your weapon gives instant recognition to other cops whenever we have to act in an official capacity.

And while we're on the topic of carrying off duty, tucking that gun in one's waistband or pocket is asking for trouble. I have been guilty of doing this in the past, but that still does not make it right. If you do decide to get involved and end up chasing someone or tussling with them, your weapon must be secure. If it is not, one of two things will probably happen: you will either have that weapon fall out of your pants during the chase and/or struggle, or you will have it taken from you. Neither result is desirable.

The big question now becomes one of "When is it appropriate to get involved?" There is no clear answer except to say that you are compelled to act when lives are on the line. If you decide not to act in a situation where deadly force may be applied, I submit that you are derelict in your duty as a police officer. Anything less than that threshold, you will have to be your own judge as to the level of involvement that you choose. We know that in some instances, it is better to be a great eye witness. Some of those situations are: anytime family members are with us, whenever we fail to bring the proper accoutrements, and when involving ourselves in a situation that would put us, or another officer at risk.

Knowing when to take police action off-duty is learned behavior. It should be discussed in every basic police academy, as well as refreshed at in-service training each year. Despite addressing this dangerous practice, we still have officers that think it is their responsibility to act on anything and everything that occurs in their presence. I recall one officer that became a nuisance and a danger to his colleagues by virtue of his off duty behavior. The slightest infraction committed in his presence caused him to take police action. Moreover, any officer doing police work was subject to this "off duty super cop" showing up to lend a hand. This can be a dangerous practice, especially on traffic stops when an officer has to take time to ID and control the off duty pain in the neck. When an on duty officer has to take time dealing with this out-of-control cop, he takes his focus off the task at hand. It can have deadly consequences.

Cherish your off duty time. Spend it with your loved ones, exercise, catch up on chores, go to school, or get involved with a hobby. Whatever you choose to do off duty, ensure that you leave your work at the office. Police work is stressful enough without burdening yourself with getting involved off duty as well. If you are off duty - act like it! Enjoy life. Stay safe brothers and sisters...







Web Links:

LivSafe--Stay Aware, Stay Safe!

John Wills an ILEETA member, spent 2 years in the U.S. Army before serving 12 years with the Chicago Police Department (CPD). He left the CPD to become an FBI Special Agent, working organized crime, violent crime, and drugs. John served as the Principal Firearms Instructor, Training Coordinator, and sniper team leader in the Detroit Division for 10 years. Before retiring from the FBI, he spent 7 years teaching at the FBI Academy at Quantico, VA. He has taught Street Survival domestically and internationally. John is presently a field manager with Advanced Interactive Systems. He also owns his own business - LivSafe. He is an authorized NCAA speaker on the danger of steroids, and he maintains a blog, Red State Papa. John serves as a judge for Law Enforcement Technology magazine's Innovations Awards, helping to evaluate new products. He can be reached at john@officer.com or (540) 226-9478.

[s.vermeire]

I suppose the intended audience should be taken into account but this bothered me:

"...I submit that you are derelict in your duty as a police officer"

It should read:..derelict in your duty as a human being.