We have the evidence to prove it. In December we conducted a
survey of POLICE readers
about backup guns and off-duty carry. One of the questions on that survey asked officers if they have ever had to draw their off-duty weapons outside of training. We also asked for the stories of what happened.
Here are some of those stories with some commentary from me:
I was driving down the freeway when the window was shot out of my vehicle. I was able to locate the suspects and detained them until the highway patrol arrived.
It sounds like these suspects were randomly shooting at people on the highway, which could have easily led to a murder and a massive pile-up.
A gang of five white men had surrounded a young black man in a mall and were beating him. I drew, stepped up, put the five thugs on the floor, and held them for on-duty officers.
The victim of this mob attack is very fortunate this officer was carrying and the mall allowed him to do so. There's a lesson in that for sports and concert venues that force off-duty officers to disarm.
Off duty inside a bar. A patron was ejected and threatened to come back with a gun. He did just that. I drew my weapon, identified myself, and ordered him to drop the gun. He didn't. I shot him and he died.
The officer in this story may well have prevented a mass killing.
Two subjects shooting at each other in a business parking lot next to my location. No other people in parking lot. No one was hit. Did not use my handgun, but I drew it to protect people behind me. When on-duty officers arrived, I was a good witness.
An off-duty officer needs to know when to engage and when to be a good witness.
But sometimes there is no option.
I was drawn into an armed bank robbery and hostage situation while off duty and exchanged fire with the perpetrator.
Off-duty officers are a force multiplier in the communities where they live. They save lives and prevent innocent people from becoming victims.
We want to share some big news about both PoliceMag.com and POLICE Magazine.
PoliceMag.com has been redesigned by our talented web team. The site now features a new responsive format. That means it now performs and looks better on mobile devices and on desktop computers. In addition to the redesign, we have added new channels, including Special Units, Command, Investigations, Procedures and Policy, Point of Law, and Vehicle Ops.
As for the magazine, our art director LaMar Norman has given POLICE a fresh new design. And to accompany that redesign, the editorial team has launched some new departments and columns.
"What Does Your Tech Do?" is a new department that grew out of our experiences at trade shows. We sometimes walk away from meetings with technology companies asking ourselves, "OK. But what does your product actually do?" We plan to give law enforcement tech companies a chance to answer that question for you.
POLICE is entering its forty-third year of publication. So we thought it would be interesting to dig into our past and show some of it to you. Check out our "Looking Back" department.
Our new column is "Command Perspective." We want to give chiefs, sheriffs, and other brass (captain and above) a chance to talk about issues affecting law enforcement. You can read Phoenix Police
Chief Jerri Williams' commentary on her department
. If you would like to write a "Command Perspective" column, send me an e-mail at
david.griffith@policemag.com
. We want some hard-hitting stuff for this column, so we are willing to let you write anonymously.
And let us know your thoughts on our new website and redesigned magazine. We'd love to hear from you.
