Special Rules for LEO on the range?

[ChuckDizzle]

At a public, indoor range, when the officer is off duty, should he or she be exempt from some of the common rules against rapid fire, holster work etc.?

I ran into this recently and the question stuck in my mind of why or why shouldn't a LEO be exempt from these rules.

I know the answer from an insurance standpoint would be that if anyone or anything was hurt/damaged by the LEO it their status as an officer would be irrelevant.

[barrage]

My opinion? No.

Also, this thread is only going to end one way.

[ChuckDizzle]

My opinion? No.

Also, this thread is only going to end one way.

I'm guessing there will be references to some crazy police shooting where a guy was killed with 30 rounds of .40 cal for holding a cell phone.

[blkside]

Because rules are there for everyones safety and no one should be exempt. I am not sure what you mean by public, but I do not know of one single indoor range that is not privately owned and at that point Jesus isnt exempt from the rules prescribed by the owner.

[ChuckDizzle]

Because rules are there for everyones safety and no one should be exempt. I am not sure what you mean by public, but I do not know of one single indoor range that is not privately owned and at that point Jesus isnt exempt from the rules prescribed by the owner.

Meaning open to the general shooting public, without restriction of membership.

[SonofWWIIDI]

Some of the rules at one local range can be overcome by takin their training classes. I haven't really checked into it much, but I know if you take the holster class, you can then do holster work there. Of course as I recall the class was fairly expensive.

[ChuckDizzle]

It makes sense if the range can check you out to make sure you know what you are doing or not. It just seemed to me weird to assume the guy I saw doing holster work was safe because he had a badge. His groupings were particularly unimpressive, and it made me wary overall. Glad he was down on the other end.

[johnthomas]

If a department doesn't have it's own range they can designate a time for that after the range closes. And what is an LEO? Corrections Officer, Dog catcher or sworn police officers? Mixing LEO and civilians shooting at the same range at the same time produces confusion about the rules and fear from the General Public. Why would an LEO want to shoot at a public range when they have a Private, safer range to practice at? At Laguna Seca, there is a designated range for officers, out of visual but within earshot distance of the public portion of the range.

[ChuckDizzle]

If a department doesn't have it's own range they can designate a time for that after the range closes. And what is an LEO? Corrections Officer, Dog catcher or sworn police officers? Mixing LEO and civilians shooting at the same range at the same time produces confusion about the rules and fear from the General Public. Why would an LEO want to shoot at a public range when they have a Private, safer range to practice at? At Laguna Seca, there is a designated range for officers, out of visual but within earshot distance of the public portion of the range.

Thanks for the response, it makes a lot of sense. My feeling was that if the guy wanted to go outside the rules he should have been at the police range, or if their unit doesn't have their own range that they could have rented out the range for their exclusive use.

[1911su16b870]

That really is not a "public" range, but one owned by someone who allows the "public" to use the range. (as opposed to BLM land etc.) All decision making and liability are with the owner of said range.

Some ranges have "holster cards" which allow individuals who have successfully completed a course of instruction to wear their firearm in a holster while on that private range. etc.

[RedFord150]

I go to range that will make exceptions for LEO. In fact, the local PD uses that range to qualify its officers. I guess smaller departments do not always have a dedicated range.
The range is a privately owned business. The owners and managers can make exceptions if they choose. That same range has offered to let me do things at certain times that were normally against the rules. However, they made this offer only after they knew me for several years and had seen how I conducted myself inside their facility.
I have no problem with this. I want the range too be on good terms with LE. It helps them and it helps us.

[ChuckDizzle]

That really is not a "public" range, but one owned by someone who allows the "public" to use the range. (as opposed to BLM land etc.) All decision making and liability are with the owner of said range.

Some ranges have "holster cards" which allow individuals who have successfully completed a course of instruction to wear their firearm in a holster while on that private range. etc.

Ohh thanks for the input, we certainly hadn't already cleared up the semantics of "public" in the context of this range.

[kentactic]

Totally up to the range owner. Ive had the nice guy in Beaumont let me kinda slide on my speed and he said if the range is empty he'd let me shoot rapidly to test gun function etc. What the problem is, is that if one guy is allowed to shoot rapid it gets everyone doing it who's on the line.

[ChuckDizzle]

I go to range that will make exceptions for LEO. In fact, the local PD uses that range to qualify its officers. I guess smaller departments do not always have a dedicated range.
The range is a privately owned business. The owners and managers can make exceptions if they choose. That same range has offered to let me do things at certain times that were normally against the rules. However, they made this offer only after they knew me for several years and had seen how I conducted myself inside their facility.
I have no problem with this. I want the range too be on good terms with LE. It helps them and it helps us.

Do you usually come in uniform or in plainclothes?

[CSACANNONEER]

When I worked at a range, there were certain people, who we knew personally, that we let do things which were generally not allowed. They were not all LEOs and not all LEOs were given the same privileges.