An open carry observation

[lrrifleman]

ADMIN: if you feel that there is a more appropriate subforum, please feel free to relocate this thread.

I realize that this is most likely the wrong subforum, but nothing else seems appropriate.

For the past few days of driving a school bus at a different high school than I have in the past, I noticed one of the school resource officers on bus duty. I was impressed by his choice of sidearm (S&W 6906). What caught my attention was how he was carrying his pistol. The safety/decocker was disengaged, and he was using a no-retention OWB kydex holster, similar to what I use in USPSA and Adaptive Defensive Shooting Summit matches.

In a school that has a reputation for discipline issues, I'm thinking this SRO needs a refresher on keeping his charges safe!

 

[Faulkner]

SRO's qualifications and training are different in different states. Here, a SRO is a certified LEO first, then SRO trained and certified second. Therefore, he/she is either a municipal police officer or a sheriff's deputy and would have to adhere to the uniform and equipment policy of their department. We have four sheriff's deputies who are SRO's that serve schools in the unincorporated parts of the county and they have a defined equipment load out specifically for SRO's.

I believe is some states a school resource officer can be something other than a police officer, like a private security contractor or even a school security employee. Who knows how rigid their policies are or are not.

 

[326MOD10]

Can't speak to the holster but I carried a 5903 with the safety/decocker disengaged while on duty. Never felt it to be unsafe.

I did train to sweep the decoker as part of the draw in case the safety was bumped on.

Some kydex have light retention built in but I carried a Safariland 070 triple retention holster during this time.

 

[Smoke]

I haven't mentioned this in a while but the very first handgun I ever owned was Smith & Wesson model 915.

The first gun people I ran into were a bunch of old vets that hung out up at Rampart Range just west of Colorado Springs. They all carried 1911s.

They carried them in thumbbreak holsters cocked and locked.

So that was my first real exposure and I thought that's the way that you carried a handgun. I carried my Smith & Wesson model 915 in a thumbbreak holster fully cocked. For probably 6 or 8 months before I found out that wasn't the way to do it.

I'm certain that if the hammer had dropped the thumbreak (Autocorrect does not like the word "Thumbbreak" ) would have stopped it from hitting the firing pin but the reality is not one time in 8 months did the hammer ever fall.

 

[Doug M.]

It would not surprise me if a teen was at least as likely to fight and/or try to disarm the SRO. (To me, an SRO is a cop first, then has additional training.) I am aware of school districts that think they can dictate what the SRO does for enforcement, etc. They have learned harsh lessons about that.

 

[Rudi]

Indeed, some of these kids could be crazy enough to go after his pistol.

 

[sw dan]

when nypd had revolvers, in that cheap holster, with a thumb break in the holster, you did receive training on handgun retention.

 

[old bear]

Open carry really stands for, Shoot Me First.

 

[lrrifleman]

In NJ, an SRO MUST be either a retired Trooper or a retired municipal police officer unless the local authorities assign an officer/Trooper to the school.

Sadly, I was able to get a close look today, and saw that the holster appeared to be comparable to a holster that you could purchase from "We The People "!

 

[Smoke]

Open carry really stands for, Shoot Me First.

You realize that the person in question was a police officer right?

 

[old bear]

Missed that part

 

[chief38]

I was never a fan of open carry! IMHO it invites trouble! Plus, the opened carrier would be the very first target! A bad idea in public - YMMV.

 

[fatcat3]

Not my cow, not my milk.