RE: Off Duty Tactics, Dont make your family a target.

I agree with you completely..I live in a small town in Oregon and have to see the dirt bags I arrest all the time. There has been more than one occasion I have told my family we will not eat somewhere or go into a store. My family has also asked why I carry off duty even if I go to the store..I have explained my reasons and also informed them of what to do if anything should ever go down when I am off duty. They understand but at times, I see they get frustrated. I also have nothing on either of my vehicles that suggest I am a police officer...in today's climate of disrespect of Police Officers, I do not wish to draw attention to me ,while I am with my family.

Please be safe and be prepared...this is not being paranoid, just good tactical practice.

Last edited @ 6/18/2007 3:56 AM

I couldn't agree with you guys more.

As far as decorations on my vehicles I have none and my wife also wanted an fop shield for her car. I explained why it wasn't a good idea and told her that her family member card was all she needed and it's safe cuz no one sees inside her wallet. My wife also likes to tell people what I do and I don't mind her close friends knowing but I'd feel better if no one knows what I do. I tell her I am proind but the reason I don't wear my uniform to and from work is so I won't be a target and it's also why my department issues locker rooms and pays me for the 15 minutes it takes to change before and after work. As far as carrying off duty with me it's a must. When I used to be an SP (Airforce MP) I pinched a guy for CDS. He was a real shittem threatened me once he was released and the whole nine yards. Well about two months later I was in a department store with my wife and I see the guy walking with a bunch of other shittems he makes me and starts talking crap so I grabbed my wife and walked to the store security office and explained the situation. The perp got spooked and left but at that moment I vowed once I was out of the military, I would always carry my piece everywhere I could. Nothing happened that day but it could've been alot worse. Morale of the story if you able to carry you should. I know in NJ where I live alot of people would give a kidney to carry conceled but can't, so I consider my self privlidged to be able to protect my self and my family even on the go.

RE: Off Duty Tactics, Dont make your family a target.

I Carry two wallets. Police ID in one with drivers license and all my police crap. In the other wallet, credit cards and money....nothing police related. Bad guy can have my civilian wallet without knowing the guy behind the glasses has a badge. Has better shock value when he sees a Smith .45 pointed at his head :-}

Also, make sure the little ones don't say outloud...."daddy your a cop...do something"

Last edited @ 6/27/2007 6:48 PM

Yes...

I agree, everyone in LE should have that conversation with their family, and explain how to react in a situation if one should occur.

The wallet thing is a good idea as well.

Keep the bad guys guessing, and have the advantage.

RE: Off Duty Tactics, Dont make your family a target.

All very good points, when first married wife thought i was paranoid by little things Ie where I sat in public, always her on my non-gun side and always always carrying off duty even a quick run to the stop and rob for a soda. I have been patient and turned her around now she knoe=ws what table to get, she also knows what to do if need arises leave my side call 911 describe incident describe me and I am Officer. Thankfully no need to see how well she reacts.

RE: Off Duty Tactics, Dont make your family a target.

Ive seen alot of officers and their families wearing tee shirts, saying something about being LE, Thats fine when at a LE gathering, but not on the street, Be proud of what you are! but dont paint a bullseye on yourself, or your family by telling the whole world"

Dont make your family a target.

I do the exact same thing. My kids have the small blue line sticker on the back window of thier vehicles. They tell everyone it is a parking pass for my neighborhood.

Scary incident...

Here...for those rookies all excited about being in law enforcement. This is a true story. It is not meant to scare you or keep you from being proud, but it will make you think a bit more tactifully off duty. We are a hunted breed. This is Ofc. Truesdell and Ofc. Truesdell's account of being assaulted off duty because we wore something that said P-O-L-I-C-E in the wrong area.

Back in May 2007 my husband, our 4 kids, and myself went to visit my relatives in the Columbus Ohio area for a family celebration. We stayed at a hotel, and we brought our sweatshirts with our department badge embroidered on it and our POLICE hats we usually just wear at the range (my husband chooses to still wear it where ever he goes...he's stubborn...lol). We weren't going out into a public place, but just over to my sister's house to visit and let our kids (cousins) all play with each other for we hadn't seen them in a while. A fun family get together, right?

Well...we didn't know that my sister's neighborhood and the town she lives in is having a big gang problem right now. Our car has Michigan licenses plates on them and remember we are in Ohio (we all know the Michigan vs Ohio State rivalry anyway...but we never have had a problem with it). Well...we were wearing our police stuff to go see our relatives because it was the first time they would be seeing us after we had been sworn in. It was a topic conversation "You got any good police stories?!?" Ya'll know how it is when you visit family...they wanna hear the funny shit we deal with. So were are eating, carrying on conversation, and having a good time until a teenager shows up wearing "colors", with his hood up. He talks to my nephew (also a teenager) and they are whispering this and that. My husband and I pick up right away this kid's a punk. I was busy with one of the kids so my husband goes over to see what's up because we don't like the idea of our nephew hanging around trash. The kid wouldn't talk or look directly at my husband because soon as my husband approached our nephew went "Oh yeah here comes the family cop". The stranger kid was just an attitude problem bundled in a sweatshirt. Ray asked a few things and saw that the conversation wasn't getting anywhere so he left them to come back and talk to me. I asked my sister what in the hell is that kid doing here? She said she didn't like him. He was her son's "new acquaintance". I said get rid of him...he's nothing but trouble. My sister said "Yeah I know Rach...he's one of the gang boys here in the neighborhood". I said Mother f**^cker....he better make friends somewhere else. The kid left shortly after, and of course glaring at us. He left with this "I'm gonna own you..." stare meant for the two cops.

Well...it's dark out..we've had our family time...now it's time to go back to the hotel for bed. We get in our car, and we start to leave. We get just around the block when a vechicle pulls out from a parking lot a few feet (probably 75 to 100 ft) in front of us and speeds down the left lane coming towards us...the next thing we know our car is getting hit with something...POP! POP! POP! I am thinking shit...the sons-of-bitches are shooting at us with my fu*^^ing family in the car! I am royally pissed, going for my firearm. We pull over to see what the hell just happened and we are on high alert.

We were lucky...it was just eggs coming at us over 50 MPH. They left dents in our car and cracked the paint...but at least they didn't decide to make us swiss cheese with four young children in the car. We were lucky.

The lesson of this story is...know your surroundings, even if you are going to be with family. Be proud to be a police officer, but becareful where you advertise it. I grew up in Ohio. It is a much different place now. It is not the same place I used to know. I thought it was safe to wear something that said POLICE.

We were wearing our police department logo and POLICE hats...knowing our family would be congratulating us and wanting to know more information. We thought we show them what our police stuff looks like, showed them our badges, and department ID...talked about the training a little bit and they were delighted to hear it...proud to have police officers in the family as we have had a lot of veterans in the armed forces before us. My family is very proud of our American patriotism that runs through us.

But we realized that night...we are now targets...among the hunted. The predator doesn't give a rats ass if your family is with you or if you are just visiting relatives, and having a backyard BBQ. You're fu*(*ing scum to them.

My husband and I still wear our police stuff with pride. We aren't about to let some punks intimidate us. But it sure made us think about what we just got ourselves into....LOL!

We ALWAYS carry. Yes..I do yard work, and grocery shopping with a firearm.

"Is your number still 911?" - Ofc. Rachel T.

RE: Off Duty Tactics, Dont make your family a target.

I myself don't like to attract attention. I think for my family's safety then my own. I tell some of my fellow Deputy's that wear their gun and badge in plain sight that they need to watch out with that. I am proud of what I do, but at the same time I am as safe as possible not to attract any unwanted attention. I also own a family business so since I can't work extra jobs yet (still a reserve until Jan WOOT!! WOOT!!) I leave my off-duty with my mother at our business. I am a pretty stout guy myself so I carry the the sub-compact off duty and wear something loose over it and always, ALWAYS, check my 6 when I get that funny feeling just for safety.

RE: Off Duty Tactics, Dont make your family a target.

Howdy All;

As much as I hate to agree with you all, and that shows what a sad condition we have in the USA. I have worked uniformed Policing, however most of my career was as a Fed. Here in Fl we have at least two(2) types of licence plates for supporting Police. One is the Support Law Enforcement the other is Support the PAL. Having worked In LA, Miami, Chicago and various other cities I would NEVER get a Licence Plate with those logos on them. I am retired now, out of it for good. It is a shame I cannot wear a symbol my profession, like a teamster or member of the Military.

Stay Safe and keep your head down!