Question for LEO in CA

[jmatt511]

Could be an agency issue. Had no issue with that during my time on the job.

[200Apples]

Interesting thing is most leo I’ve met in my lifetime aren’t really that into guns, only out of necessity

Yup.. just another tool on the belt...

Depends on who you talk to. I rub elbows with a few active and retired municipal motor cops at work; they assist with traffic control. As a result of one two-year acquaintance where it was discovered we also had mutual friends in the area and from the old car hobby, I was invited to a First Annual Range Day last week and had a lot of fun with these guys. Of 12 shooters that showed up at one of the ranges rented at Burro, 8 were LEOs with two of these retired.

The 4 civilians among us, including myself, benefitted from their humor, their range discipline, their instruction, and at after lunch, an informal course of fire as a competition for we non-LEO, which everyone eventually wanted a piece of. Good times! And of course, the fellow that invited me was the one who bested all others with top score, partly because he was one of the two actual police range instructors there, and the fact that they're "gun guys".

[IceKnight366]

Thanks for all your feedback. I'll try to answer some questions to clarify things.

This officer was not talking about his service firearm, but any and all personal firearms as well (additionally, as an officer of this city it was required that all of his personal firearms be made known to the department. Aka, the department wanted to know what personal firearms he owns).

This officer was not talking about shooting in uniform, but any shooting on OR off duty.

He was not making excuses to skirt his personal training nor to training with me. That was not the context of this discussion.

His stated reasons had to do with liability and to the extent the city owns you once employed. The idea was that once you are employed with the city your Constitutional rights are tapered on OR off duty. You cannot have strong positions on controversial topics on OR off duty as that could be a liability to doing your job objectively (or at least in the way others perceive you doing your job objectively). You cannot shoot at any of the places listed on OR off as your safety, and the others you are shooting with, are a liability. You have no right to staying silent or having a lawyer present during an official police debriefing but any information divulged cannot be used in a criminal proceeding against you. etc, etc...

Is any of this similar to how other departments operate?

[ARDude]

I have not heard of any restrictions like OP mentioned. But LEO's in my area are restricted on when and where they can use their issued duty ammo.

[Yodaman]

Thanks for all your feedback. I'll try to answer some questions to clarify things.

This officer was not talking about his service firearm, but any and all personal firearms as well (additionally, as an officer of this city it was required that all of his personal firearms be made known to the department. Aka, the department wanted to know what personal firearms he owns).

This officer was not talking about shooting in uniform, but any shooting on OR off duty.

He was not making excuses to skirt his personal training nor to training with me. That was not the context of this discussion.

His stated reasons had to do with liability and to the extent the city owns you once employed. The idea was that once you are employed with the city your Constitutional rights are tapered on OR off duty. You cannot have strong positions on controversial topics on OR off duty as that could be a liability to doing your job objectively (or at least in the way others perceive you doing your job objectively). You cannot shoot at any of the places listed on OR off as your safety, and the others you are shooting with, are a liability. You have no right to staying silent or having a lawyer present during an official police debriefing but any information divulged cannot be used in a criminal proceeding against you. etc, etc...

Is any of this similar to how other departments operate?

[phdo]

[hermosabeach]

You find a lot of officers in classes..... curious what department would prohibit an officer from getting better.

Some officers are great shots and work to get better.

Some take 2-4 times to qualify and need more training.


I’m also thinking about several private classes I have taken with LEO as instructors

[P5Ret]

Thanks for all your feedback. I'll try to answer some questions to clarify things.

This officer was not talking about his service firearm, but any and all personal firearms as well (additionally, as an officer of this city it was required that all of his personal firearms be made known to the department. Aka, the department wanted to know what personal firearms he owns).

This officer was not talking about shooting in uniform, but any shooting on OR off duty.

He was not making excuses to skirt his personal training nor to training with me. That was not the context of this discussion.

His stated reasons had to do with liability and to the extent the city owns you once employed. The idea was that once you are employed with the city your Constitutional rights are tapered on OR off duty. You cannot have strong positions on controversial topics on OR off duty as that could be a liability to doing your job objectively (or at least in the way others perceive you doing your job objectively). You cannot shoot at any of the places listed on OR off as your safety, and the others you are shooting with, are a liability. You have no right to staying silent or having a lawyer present during an official police debriefing but any information divulged cannot be used in a criminal proceeding against you. etc, etc...

Is any of this similar to how other departments operate?

That is complete and total BS. While it is 100% true that someone can be disciplined for off duty antic's saying that your Constitutional Right's are tapered is the biggest crock of s*%^ I've ever heard. The right to an attorney is absolute, the job does not change that.

[TRICKSTER]

I think the most likely explanation is he was just making excuses not to shoot with the op.

^^^THIS^^^

[GlockN'Roll]

Yup.. just another tool on the belt...

When I was young, most cops were gun guys or, at the very least, proficient in their use.


When I worked in the gun industry, decades ago, we began to see cops who viewed their weapons as a necessary evil that they only used to qualify with as required.


Often their wives/girlfriends were as good or better shots.




While it is possible that some liberal, risk averse agency places these silly restrictions on their officers, I have never heard this from any of LEO's I know.


I would tend to believe, for whatever reason, the officer didn't want to shoot with/in front of you...

[plumbum]

Not in our neck of the woods - sounds like a specific policy for his agency.

[scott36153]

Thanks for all your feedback. I'll try to answer some questions to clarify things.

This officer was not talking about his service firearm, but any and all personal firearms as well (additionally, as an officer of this city it was required that all of his personal firearms be made known to the department. Aka, the department wanted to know what personal firearms he owns).

This officer was not talking about shooting in uniform, but any shooting on OR off duty.

He was not making excuses to skirt his personal training nor to training with me. That was not the context of this discussion.

His stated reasons had to do with liability and to the extent the city owns you once employed. The idea was that once you are employed with the city your Constitutional rights are tapered on OR off duty. You cannot have strong positions on controversial topics on OR off duty as that could be a liability to doing your job objectively (or at least in the way others perceive you doing your job objectively). You cannot shoot at any of the places listed on OR off as your safety, and the others you are shooting with, are a liability. You have no right to staying silent or having a lawyer present during an official police debriefing but any information divulged cannot be used in a criminal proceeding against you. etc, etc...

Is any of this similar to how other departments operate?

[SarcoBlaster]

OP, tell your friend to stop telling tall tales.

[Sam .223]

Probably a department thing, if at all, I've never heard of any restrictions like that.

[BTFlyer]

OP...your friend might not really be a cop...have you seen him in uniform?