Officers, LEO's...How many times a day do you draw your weapon?

When I was young, my Uncle, a Sheriff almost had me convinced to join up. My cousin did about 12 years earlier, he hadnt pulled a weapon in duty but my Uncle had and he was in a few fire fights made the local news and such.

Now I come into work to the sound of police sirens... several shootings close to campus. Makes me sorta glad I didnt join.

I say the same thing about my Uncle was a Union Pacific train man along with my Grandpa (Granpa had over 50 years) :) cousin Tim went and he is still in.

Not all jobs are what they seem. Some can be deadly, policemen and railroad workers, 2 of the dangerous IMHO.

God Bless those that join.
 
I began my career in policing in NYC in 1973.
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I worked in Suffolk County from 1970 to 1990 I i do remember hearing something about a NY city rule that ruled that placing your hand on a holstered gun was considered threatening. If you worked NYPD you obviously know more than me, but I do seem to remember the civilian review board made life difficult for a NYPD officer. Is it possible that this topic was in the news because of publicity from the civilian review board?

Also back in the 1970s Suffolk had a holster that required you to stick your finger in the trigger guard to remove the gun from the holster. I think NY city had a similar type holster.

For those not familiar with SCPD our entire department was about the same size as one NYPD academy class
 
Wow! Thanks for the responses fellas. Lots of things to think about. Just for statements sake, yes, I was referring to the act of actually unholstering your sidearm; even if it was just to sweep a building where an alarm went off. I too, would like to say thanks for your service. You LEO's make our nation a safer place, even in rural areas.

Sounds like New York state has a few more barriers in place to make it a hassle for Officers to protect themselves! Thats too bad. to Jt1971 I used to live in Long Beach. I agree, it isn't pretty. When the L.A. riots arrived, we had to go down to my Grandmas place in Del Mar to wait it out. As a grown man now, there are several things that I learned that I will do if anything like that happens again. Luckily, I live in one of the top 5 safest cities in the U.S. Its got a gun-toting population of about 80/100k or so. :D
 
That would be New York CITY. 99% of this state is not city, particularly THAT city and has little, nothing, in common with that place.
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The northern and southern part of NY state are almost two different states. Unfortunately even the more friendly north still has to put up with the 10 round mag limit and a few other laws that are state wide. Norther NY is a lot nicer place to live but I can't deal with the cold. I am happy I moved to SC because aside from the health issues associated with the cold weather it's a more affordable place to live on a retirement pension.
 
i do remember hearing something about a NY city rule that ruled that placing your hand on a holstered gun was considered threatening. If you worked NYPD you obviously know more than me, but I do seem to remember the civilian review board made life difficult for a NYPD officer. Is it possible that this topic was in the news because of publicity from the civilian review board?
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Sounds like New York state has a few more barriers in place to make it a hassle for Officers to protect themselves!
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Sorry, but if you're in a conflict with somebody (even verbal conflicts) and you grip your sidearm it is a show of force. It is a statement of your ability and preparation to use deadly force.

There are many situations where it is an appropriate response, but I've seen far too many officers use it to say I have a gun, you have to do what I say!
 
Hey Silver... Fellow NY'r.

There was an edict that we remove all visible ammo from our duty gear, and that it was considered threatening. Many of us carried an excess of the 18 mandatory rounds in open belt loops. That was considered by some to be threatening that the police actually have bullets. OMG!!!:eek: Some guys wore 12 rounds on the back of their duty belt. Made them look like they were wearing a cowboy rig. I wore 6 on the front weak side of my gun belt. Mostly for the CDI factor though. Then one day it all ended...most of us went out and got an extra set of box carriers. (I always carried 24 spares)

But again.... I cant remember ever in my time hearing an order, or seeing a Patrol guide prociedure forbiding having hand on gun. As I said it was actually taught as a sound tactic.

Glenn Dee
 
"" There are many situations where it is an appropriate response, but I've seen far too many officers use it to say I have a gun, you have to do what I say! ""

It should be enough that a uniformed officer is saying do what I say. When a person does not comply with a officer I see nothing wrong with the cop gripping a firearm as the person has already escalated the event.
 
I'm in a rural area. Couple of times a week, maybe..thats for dispatching deer, clearing a building, etc.

I'm sure that its much higher in urban areas. We recently had a guy transfer to an urban dept an hour away; he stopped back a month later to say he drew his gun more his first two weeks there than he did with us in two years.
 
In the small southern town I serve in, numerous times a year over the past 20. More often than not, it's during building searches. More rarely, I've had to draw down on individuals...I'd say maybe between 30 to 40, total. Thankfully, every person I've confronted in this manner has surrendered...so far. I genuinely hope it remains that way. On those [also rare] situations I've had where I knew going in that armed encounters were more likely, I've left the pistol in it's holster and opted for the long gun as my primary armament. Compared to what my brother LEOs in the big cities face, I know I have it comparatively easy in many ways...and I wouldn't trade working here in Mayberry for anything else!
 
Up here it would depend on shift. Mids (2300-0900) probably averaging out to once and change per shift (some nights more than once, occasionally not at all). Less frequently on Days (0700-1700), and then usually only for a warrant service or for a building search after an alarm pops, and somewhere in between on Swings (1500-0100).
 
I work in a high crime suburb of a high crime big city. Some days, I don't unholster my weapon. Some days, it's a few times a day depending on the calls- hold-up alarms, B&E alarms, family fights with weapons in the house, felony stops for stolen cars or narcotics activity, ect.
 
I retired Aug 1 after 35 years combined small town (10 years) and state investigator (25 yrs). Unholstered maybe a dozen times during felony arrests. Never fired a shot.
 
Spoke with an LEO friend who said she draws hers every time she works at night, multiple times. She said any time approaches a vehicle, she has her hand on her gun. If there is anything at all suspicious, she draws her Glock 22 and places it behind her right leg. No one has ever noticed, and she's less likely to, as some here have said, "play catchup".
 
Amazing responses here.

I expected alot of "I never had to draw mine in so and so years."

Better a gun drawn and reholstered then a gun not drawn and you're shot. I guess.

Glad to see officers,retired and active, here to post.

Great thread.
 
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