LEO's &Automatic knives

[pulserifle99]

I am an LEO in the state of Ca and i was wondering if i am allowed to purchase an auto knife?

[.45shooter]

Yes you can

[pulserifle99]

how would i go about ordering one? Im sure ill have to show my ID

[biglou]

You fax or scan and e-mail a copy of your ID. There is a thread on here with LEO discount vendors. One of them may have auto knives. I usually just ask a co-worker.

[Unit74]

Last time I was at Camp Pendleton training, they had them for sale in the PX. These were SOG knives. Pretty decent looking too.

My guess is head to an installation and see what they have. You have NAS near you right?

[ke6guj]

Yes you can

Yes, LEOs do buy automatic knives, but where is the LEO exemption to 653k? Are they actually exempt, or is it a brass pass sort of deal?

I know there is a federal exemption for LEOs to purchase autos in interstate commerce, but CA law can be more strict.

[Tallship]

Would probably fall under 12002(a) if the department had no ban against it.

[ke6guj]

how would a 12020(b) exemption from 12020(a) exempt an LEO from 653k, when the two sections do not appear to be related?

653k. Every person who possesses in the passenger's or driver's area of any motor vehicle in any public place or place open to the public, carries upon his or her person, and every person who sells, offers for sale, exposes for sale, loans, transfers, or gives to any other person a switchblade knife having a blade two or more inches in length is guilty of a misdemeanor.
For the purposes of this section, "switchblade knife" means a knife having the appearance of a pocketknife, and includes a spring-blade knife, snap-blade knife, gravity knife or any other similar type knife, the blade or blades of which are two or more inches in length and which can be released automatically by a flick of a button, pressure on the handle, flip of the wrist or other mechanical device, or is released by the weight of the blade or by any type of mechanism whatsoever. "Switchblade knife" does not include a knife that opens with one hand utilizing thumb pressure applied solely to the blade of the knife or a thumb stud attached to the blade, provided that the knife has a detent or other mechanism that provides resistance that must be overcome in opening the blade, or that biases the blade back toward its closed position.
For purposes of this section, "passenger's or driver's area" means that part of a motor vehicle which is designed to carry the driver and passengers, including any interior compartment or space therein.

[Ron-Solo]

I'll just keep my Spyderco and avoid the hassles.

I'm not usually allowed to play with sharp objects anyway.

[wht91123]

Galls.com

[eltee]

You can buy them, but my dept. made a big to-do over them. First, a buddy of mine was showing off one of the high-end autos we had both bought. My buddy was telling another cop how much it costs. Some liberal minded sergeant came up and declared, "It might cost you a lot more if you don't put that illegal knife away."

Some months later my dept. came out with a written policy, we could only carry knives that a civilian can carry and apparently the attorney(s) for the dept. confirmed that there was no LEO exemption for switchblades.

I wouldn't carry any of my expensive auto knives at work anyway. It could be chewed up from daily use, lost, stolen, etc. plus if in that one in a million chance I had to use it as a weapon...I'd be tap dancing on the head of a pin as to why I violated the law and dept. policy by carrying one.

Anyway, I know of no statute or case law the exempts an LEO from the auto knife prohibitions. You can buy them, that doesn't make it legal to carry one although one might argue qualified immunity, government immunity, etc. if by chance your dept. issued you one or your policies authorized them.

[scr83jp]

You can buy them, but my dept. made a big to-do over them. First, a buddy of mine was showing off one of the high-end autos we had both bought. My buddy was telling another cop how much it costs. Some liberal minded sergeant came up and declared, "It might cost you a lot more if you don't put that illegal knife away."

Some months later my dept. came out with a written policy, we could only carry knives that a civilian can carry and apparently the attorney(s) for the dept. confirmed that there was no LEO exemption for switchblades.

I wouldn't carry any of my expensive auto knives at work anyway. It could be chewed up from daily use, lost, stolen, etc. plus if in that one in a million chance I had to use it as a weapon...I'd be tap dancing on the head of a pin as to why I violated the law and dept. policy by carrying one.

Anyway, I know of no statute or case law the exempts an LEO from the auto knife prohibitions. You can buy them, that doesn't make it legal to carry one although one might argue qualified immunity, government immunity, etc. if by chance your dept. issued you one or your policies authorized them.

I caught lots of juvis carrying double edged daggers that their parents bought for them & when I seized it I got flack.My usual response was to ask if they all wanted to get arrested for possession of an illegal weapon.

[scootergmc]

There is no exemption.

[fullrearview]

I wouldn't carry any of my expensive auto knives at work anyway. It could be chewed up from daily use, lost, stolen, etc. plus if in that one in a million chance I had to use it as a weapon...I'd be tap dancing on the head of a pin as to why I violated the law and dept. policy by carrying one.

.

Thats why I have a cheap big 5 knife that I don't mind being used for anything(including corner duties..)

Don't have an auto yet, but will carry 2 knifes, just as I carry about 2 of everything.

[bohoki]

with todays technology of the assisted openers with the little blade nub you can press on the back and open it just like a switcher but without the bad press