You only laid it on the bed for a second while you took off your shirt, but the phone rang. After a few tense minutes with your supervisor about an unavoidably late report you submitted, you return to the master bedroom.

There, sitting quietly on the bed, is your four-year-old son. In his hands, pointing in the general direction of the door you just walked through, is your off-duty SiG.

"Bang, bang, Daddy," the little voice says, with a wide smile on his face. His fingers aren't long enough to reach the trigger, but your gut wrenches into your throat, as you duck, reach out for the gun, and softly say, "No, son, put it down."

With shaking hands, you put the gun on top of the dresser. It taps the wooden top two or three times before coming to rest, due to the tremor in your hand. You hold your son and think seriously about giving up the job, guns, and everything having to do with it all. The nausea flows through your body and you feel your stomach lurch.

You replay the tape in your head a thousand times as the days go by. Each time, the what-ifs expand, become more graphic, imbed themselves deeper into your dreams. You think about what you could have lost, your life, your marriage, your career wiped out in the literal blink of an eye, in the crash of a bullet. You think, hard, about how your moment of inattention nearly cost you everything.

Tragic Familiarity

In Tennessee, an officer is shot by his own son, who was playing with his dad's handgun.

In Texas, an officer's pick-up truck is burglarized by a child, who then uses the officer's unsecured gun to shoot and wound a seven-year-old.

The list goes on, but the trend is clear. A cop's often easy familiarity with guns may make him or her less than attentive when it comes to possible dangers. Familiarity can breed a casual demeanor, even with deadly weapons. But an officer, or anyone, simply cannot afford to lose focus for an instant when it comes to the safe and reliable security of his or her personal firearms.

Let's be blunt. You may be dealing with major felonies, pursuits, foot chases, drug arrests, fights, violence on the streets and in homes, administrative pressures, and worse, but the bottom line is always the same. You are still ultimately responsible for the security of your working guns, regardless of the pressure or distractions of the job, your home life, or whether the ball game is on TV that night.

A loss of attention, of responsibility, or of control, for even a single moment, can and does account for tragedies. The second a child's finger touches the cold grip of a cop's handgun, time races forward at an uncontrollable rate, raging headlong toward potential disaster. It's up to each one of us to stop that process before it begins. And we can do it simply. As long as we make the effort to do it.

It's The Law

California recently passed legislation holding gun owners accountable at many levels when it comes to children. In a nutshell, the law states it's unlawful to leave a firearm unsecured in an area where a juvenile may have access to it.

Additionally, if a youth should use an adult's firearm to commit a crime, should accidentally wound or kill someone or otherwise destroy property or injure another, the owner of the gun is liable, both civilly and criminally. Key word here: criminally.

There have been cases where parents have been prosecuted for allowing their child to have access to a firearm that was used to kill or injure another. Society is tired of adults not acting like adults when it comes to firearm safety and California's law is one of the manifestations of that fatigue.

Additionally, in order to be sold in California, handguns have to be subjected to and pass a stringent string of functionality tests. These tests cover reliability and safety issues and cost manufacturers thousands of dollars. But they take part in them for one reason: If they don't pass, they don't sell in California.

State law also mandates a series of pre-approved locking devices for all manner of firearms. Some devices, like Mogul Corporation's Life Jacket, work for a wide variety of handguns, while others may be model-specific. Under present law, a dealer has to either supply (read: sell) a state-approved locking device before he can release the gun to a customer, or the customer must sign an affidavit stating he or she has a state-approved lock box or safe at home.

Read between the lines here. California is making it impossible for anyone to use an excuse that he or she didn't have a lock if a tragedy should occur. Not only do you have to secure your existing guns (cops included), but you must also have a lock for any new guns purchased. There is no waffling on this one. If a gun owned or under your control is used by a juvenile in a criminal or reckless manner, you are criminally liable.

And if you're thinking why should I care, I don't live in California? Remember that political and cultural trends that start in the Golden State often sweep the nation.

Having said all that, it seems ridiculous laws have to be passed to force people to do what only makes sense in the first place. Cops being cops, we often think of ourselves as special or often even above the law when it comes to such things. I know it may hurt some feelings, but we all know it can be the case at times. And this one applies to everyone, regardless of age, race, or even job description.

The bottom line? If you're a law enforcement officer (especially if you're a law enforcement officer), you are at least civilly liable for the misuse of any firearms under your control and possibly criminally liable, depending upon the state. We don't even have to mention the personal trauma involved when an accident occurs.

No one, ever, wants to allow his or her personal or duty gun to be used in a crime, suicide, or accidental shooting. But it still happens and it happens for one reason: inattention to the level of personal responsibility required when part of your job is to carry a deadly weapon on a daily basis.

Common Sense

Many agencies have mandated a department policy regarding the security of weapons both on and off duty. Indeed, many agencies, including branches of the federal government, have issued locking devices from trigger locks to devices like the Life Jacket along with duty weapons.

Just like the California law, the feds issuance of a safety device, along with the duty gun, puts complete responsibility for the gun's security on the shoulders of the officer. The agency has supplied a safety device and now it's up to the cop involved to use it. Guess where the liability would fall should something happen?

Many agencies issue one gun and only authorize it for duty and off-duty carry. More and more often, this gun is now being supplied with some kind of locking device. And it's expected to be used. We'd all like to think this effort is to prevent tragedies from occurring, but logic also dictates it comes from paying out millions of dollars after duty guns get misused accidentally or otherwise.

Simple department policies regarding the security of firearms can and should be drafted. This does, indeed, force the issue. Not only does it help to prevent accidents by strong-arming officers (when necessary) into complying, but it also can help to prove to the public an agency is taking steps to prevent such accidents in the first place.

In a perfect world, it wouldn't be necessary, but the mistakes of a few have brought the issue into the limelight.

The Wrong Hands

It seems obvious at this point that a comprehensive approach to the security of your personal guns is of paramount importance. In other words: Keep 'em out of the wrong hands.

Fortunately, the marketplace teems with ideas to help. Unfortunately, however, many are not practical in the real world. There are some, however, that are well designed and actually work. Imagine that. Still, the implementation actually putting the lock on the gun remains in the home court, directly where it belongs, on your shoulders.

The mechanics are relatively easy. Keep tabs of your guns and when they aren't on your person, they should be locked or inaccessible in such a manner they are not easily found and put to use by kids or adults who shouldn't have their sticky fingers on them. And no, the top shelf of the closet is not good enough. Remember your own youthful adventures exploring your parent's closet?

First Line of Defense

Education remains the core defense against misuse. If you have kids, make them gun-safe by playing the role of parent. Demystify your guns, by showing them to your kids when they ask your permission to see them. By supervising while their interests are assuaged and by quickly answering their questions, you can avoid 95 percent of all problems.

My own experiences with my daughter serve as an example. Madison is now 13, and she's been around firearms all of her life. I've spent many hours teaching her gun safety, and today she is zealous about letting me know when one of her friends takes too much interest in my guns.

The NRA's Eddie Eagle gun safety program is a classic case of non-political education. The program does not endorse or demonize gun ownership. It simply teaches children: If you see a gun, don't touch, leave the area, and get an adult. Period. Grind that into any children who inhabit your space and most of the problems are gone.

Once again, we might note, most of the problem can be addressed by training rather than by the administration of new technology. But doing both isn't a bad idea, either.[PAGEBREAK]

Mechanical Solutions

After arriving home, depending upon how well your children have been trained, you have many options to secure your duty or off-duty guns. Keep in mind, your own kids may not be the problem. That nine-year-old miscreant next door with the green hair needs to be kept at bay too. If you allow neighborhood kids inside, you have just assumed a mega-sized bit of liability so a high level of protection is called for. How would you ever begin to explain how your intentions were good, but little Bret still got to your Glock?

At the most basic level, a partial disassembly could do wonders to prevent accidents, but who, in the real world, would do it? If your off-duty gun is also your home protection gun, you'd be silly to make it not work.

Trigger locks (devices that cover the trigger guard) are good and bad. Many can be defeated easily (think about how much you paid for it) or may still allow little fingers to manipulate controls like magazine releases and safeties. If the gun is visible, it's attractive to any three-year-old's eyes.

While a good trigger lock may prevent the gun from firing, more can be done with little effort. If you're really anxious, combine a trigger lock with a small, locking box of some kind. Homak, Gun Guard, Doskocil, Odyssey Automotive, and others make small boxes for as little as $10 to as much as $300 (for fancy, electronically controlled locks). Secured to a drawer or wall, or at least put away, a gun surrounded by a box soon loses interest to the pre-teen crowd.

The Life Jacket is a good example of an inexpensive way to cover the gun, yet still have it accessible for an emergency. It can also be secured to a bed stand or wall.

Do you still carry a revolver? Small, J-frame sized revolvers (like the S&W and Taurus models) ride in thousands of cops' ankle holsters and fanny packs. A simple padlock, closed around the top-strap when the cylinder is open, effectively renders any revolver defunct. It can still be "played with," but unless your kids play with hacksaws or know a five-year-old who is a locksmith, the gun can't hurt a soul unless it's used as a club.

Cable locks are often an extension of the padlock idea but with longer hasps, usually made of steel cable. Able to be put through a rifle's action, a shotgun's open port, lever guns and many handguns, cable locks (depending upon quality) can be a reliable method to secure your gun. Still, they allow the nimble fingered to push buttons and twist levers.

Bore locks usually consist of a rod inserted in the bore of a handgun and secured with a keyed lock at one end. They seem to work, but all the bits and pieces can get lost in the shuffle.

The Big Guys

The final word in security may also be the most effective in more than one way. Nothing works unless it's used and frankly, the vast majority of trigger locks, bore locks, and other clamp-on, twist-on, and screw-on goodies simply don't get used. Think of your own experiences. If it's lots of trouble, you won't do it.

The other thing is just as important. If your off-duty gun is indeed your home protection gun, chances are pretty good you don't want it out of commission to the point it takes an engineer to get it up and running again. While not intended to demean any of the quality devices (they do work, if used), people being people (and cops being cops), we are inclined to take the easy way out. Even when it comes to gun safety.

A hidden wall safe, like Phoenix USA's Gunlocker, actually mounts between the studs and opens quickly and easily with a push-button combination. You get home, you push a few buttons, you stash your Colt and shut the door. If you hear the bump in the night, four quick touches and you're armed again. This concept works in the actual, real world of lazy people.

The free-standing heavy steel floor safes (like Cannon, Browning, and Heritage, to name a few) and steel cabinets (like the Homak brand) are the final answer. Virtually impregnable to anyone unless they have a cutting torch, they are quick to use and very secure.

Factory Gun Locks

This is a delicate subject but one we'll take a hard look at. Many manufacturers are installing built-in locks in their firearms. Some Smith & Wesson, Taurus, Glock, Beretta, and Remington models come with locks built into the gun itself. Using a proprietary key, the owner can lock the gun, making it unusable for anyone including the owner until it is unlocked.

Which bring us to the next point. Does a factory-installed locking system belong on a duty or off-duty handgun or long gun? That's a tough question. When autopistols became popular with law enforcement, barrels of ink and thousands of hours were spent fighting over whether an officer should carry his or her auto on safe or off.

Many agencies mandated one way or the other, with no choice possible by individual officers. The double-action-only auto solved some of the problem by not having a safety at all.

To this day, some agencies advocate "on-safe" carry, some mandate "off-safe" and some simply leave it up to the individual officer. It can be a very personal decision or it can be mandated. Either way, this brings up a point.

If your personal protection handgun or long gun (whether an on- or off-duty weapon) comes with a factory-installed lock, you have to decide how to best handle the matter. The problem is obvious. If you lock the gun at some point, will you remember to unlock it later. Unlike trigger locks, box locks, or products like the Life Jacket, a gun locked with a factory internal/external lock may not obviously be in one mode or another.

If a duty weapon is locked at the wrong time, it could lead to a catastrophe. None of the factory locks disengage quickly and easy enough to handle once the situation warrants a response.

For a home defense gun, perhaps the factory internal lock is easier to manage. Get up in the morning, lock goes on. Go to bed at night, the lock comes off. Can you extend this to duty and off-duty situations? Only you can decide.

Final Thoughts

If you have an extensive personal collection of firearms, chances are pretty good you own a safe or other method to secure them. But chances are if you simply have a duty gun or two, you have, just maybe, been less than comprehensive in securing them at times.

The nimble, tiny fingers of children can find a handgun with the same speed and dexterity they can locate a fresh oatmeal cookie in a sealed container on the "tippy-toes" top shelf of the kitchen cabinet. The 30 seconds you spend to properly secure your gun when you get home at night only shows you care, and is arguably the most important 30 seconds of your day. Just make sure you spend them.

For More Information on Gun Safe Providers

Alchemy Arms

Browning
www.browning.com

Cannon
www.cannonsafe.com

Doskocil

Gun Guard
www.gunguard.com

Heritage
www.backwoodsunltd.com

Homak
www.homakmfg.co

Master
www.masterlocks.com

Mogul
www.life-jacket.com

NRA (Eddie Eagle Gunsafe)
www.nra.org

Odyssey Automotive
www.odysseyauto.com

Phoenix USA

Sentry Group

Roy Huntington is a retired cop and the former editor of POLICE. An internationally recognized firearms expert, Roy is editor of American Handgunner magazine.