Robert28
Senior Member
Does your stepson get to carry whatever he wants when he's off duty or does it have to be an approved service weapon? I've heard some departments allow you to carry a backup of your choosing but wasn't sure how off duty requirements went.My oldest stepson is a Deputy with a metro area dept, they are " required " to carry concealed when carrying off duty, I don't know that they can " force " them to do so, but it is what they strongly suggest, and I would imagine they consider it a reflection upon the appearance and conduct of their officers. Which they do have some control over.
There are valid reasons backed up with real world experience as to why that is an advantage. Both for off duty officers and for civilians , you can ignore those if you choose to, its your right,
You can carry however you wish, doesn't matter to me, I prefer others not to know I'm armed, until its advantageous for me to reveal that I am.
Hypothetical scenario, you are in a bank, cashing a check, there are three or four other customers there also, two guys come in and pull out guns and tell everyone to stay still this is a robbery, your gun is hanging on your belt, in an outside the waistband holster, they see it and immediately point a weapon at you , tell you not to move and they walk up to you and take your gun, all the time pointing a gun at your head. Now you aren't armed anymore, cause you didn't have time to react.
Or , you try to pull your gun when they announce they are robbing the place, they've already seen your gun, and beat you to the punch, you're now wounded or dead.
This whole time there is an off duty officer or civilian among the other customers, who is carrying concealed, he simply complies with the robbers commands until they are distracted enough by other customers until he can pull his weapon from concealment and shoot one or both of the robbers, in my humble opinion, and most peoples, the guy with his weapon concealed stands a better chance of stopping this robbery or surviving it than someone open carrying.
Its your choice totally, carry however you wish.