Getting a new duty gun by mid 2019

[Kiwi cop]

My Gen 1 Glock 17 duty pistol was first put into service in the mid 1990's. Because it has spent most of that time in a safe or lock box, and very little time of the hip, it has not been fired much, if at all after acceptance/sighting when new.

Recently we received notification from the firearms training centre that all front line Glocks were being replaced, well at least the frames. A few years ago we updated our holsters to one which can accommodate a flashlight. Our M4's have a light suspended off the front of the fore grip and the new(wish) Gen 3 frames will also have flashlight rails and be fitted with lights.

It means that we will no longer have to learn to shoot holding both a torch and the pistol. Useful given that this years qualification training is low light shooting

TBH I would prefer a Gen 4 frame. Because only two of us use the car we could fit the large grips raptor which really feels much better in my hand (the other user is my brother and he too would find it a better grip).

 

[pawncop]

Just curious sir, do you not carry your sidearm while on duty?

 

[LVSteve]

Just curious sir, do you not carry your sidearm while on duty?

If NZ LE operates like the UK bobbies, the gun lives in the lockbox in the car and may only be deployed on instruction by an officer of inspector or above.

 

[ExRanger714]

Ah, but here in, at least North Carolina, and lawyers chime in if you would please, when you, a civilian, point a firearm at another person you may well, and quite likely, commit the crime of "assault by pointing a gun." And when the badges arrive you confess to the above when you say something like "I shined my light on him to determine if he was a danger to others" if all you have is a weapon light

We might say something like this: "With my flashlight in my left hand I examined him so as to determine if he was a danger to others" were we so equipped. "Oh, the light on the pistol is acting up"

The moral here is don't give them evidence of any criminal activity with which to charge you.

In a country where you pack all the time and it seems like everybody's packing you gotta plan ahead on how and which way your interview is going to go. I'm sure you personally know the value of being able to articulate in detail justification why you made a particular decision but I wonder about some guys.

 

[Kiwi cop]

If NZ LE operates like the UK bobbies, the gun lives in the lockbox in the car and may only be deployed on instruction by an officer of inspector or above.

That may have been the case in the past but not any more.

In the UK about 1 in 3 police are firearms officers. These days they operate in sections of 4 plus a sergeant, often in beefed up vehicles resembling an APC, and are armed at all times on duty ready to deploy. This past weekend's shooting in Manchester as well as the bombing and several terror incidents in London is the reason why. It's better to be ready and not needed the not ready.

Here we used to require the authorisation of a sergeant or above to respond with firearms. They loosened the criteria to, where authorised to carry in a car, each individual officer made the decision as to when to carry on the hip as long as they notified an NCO or the communications room. Then we got tasers and again sergeants had to authorise their use.

That lead to the situation where it was harder to carry a taser than a Glock. And also where tasers were being authorised for knife/axe/machete incidents where a G17 or preferably an M4 would be more appropriate.

About 4 years ago we began to carry firearms in all frontline vehicles (where available). Over time the department purchase more Glock 17's and Bushmaster M 4's. My workgroup went from 4 sets to be shared among 7 vehicles and 9 staff to 7 full sets, including hard armour plate. Then there were several incidents of cops being fired upon after making "routine" vehicle stops while the firearms were still in lockboxes.

First tasers were authorised for open carry. We have to show reasonable decision making processes about not carrying one where they are available. And then we began to carry Glocks more and more, especially to domestic calls and other "high risk" jobs.

Some of my colleagues carry routinely, especially after dark. Others will carry whenever we receive a notification of a high risk offender in our patrol areas.

There is a big push towards full time arming of police here. Personally I have some reservations. Some of the new recruits coming through would go for a Glock when their response should still be at the level of voice appeal. My feeling is that sergeants, rural and one person patrols outside of metropolitan areas should carry routinely first. After that??? Well that's another issue.

I probably should carry a Glock on my hip more than I do.

I will have to think hard about that now.

 

[Kiwi cop]

Ah, but here in, at least North Carolina, and lawyers chime in if you would please, when you, a civilian, point a firearm at another person you may well, and quite likely, commit the crime of "assault by pointing a gun." And when the badges arrive you confess to the above when you say something like "I shined my light on him to determine if he was a danger to others" if all you have is a weapon light

We might say something like this: "With my flashlight in my left hand I examined him so as to determine if he was a danger to others" were we so equipped. "Oh, the light on the pistol is acting up"

The moral here is don't give them evidence of any criminal activity with which to charge you.

In a country where you pack all the time and it seems like everybody's packing you gotta plan ahead on how and which way your interview is going to go. I'm sure you personally know the value of being able to articulate in detail justification why you made a particular decision but I wonder about some guys.

I carry only on duty. Here the only legal way to shoot a pistol ff you are not military or police is in competition on an approved range as a member of an approved club and after jumping through a lot of personal reference, training and firearm security hoops.

And on duty I have a 3 AA cell streamtlight clipped to my vest, a 3 cell maglight by the centre console as well as the firearms mounted flashlights to resort to.

 

[adwjc]

And on duty I have a 3 AA cell streamtlight clipped to my vest, a 3 cell maglight by the centre console as well as the firearms mounted flashlights to resort to.

Maglights, and other multi cell C and D cell flashlights have all but disappeared from the LEOs equipment carried these days (allegedly misused as impact weapons), gone the way of the baton (nightstick),PR24, nun chucks, blackjacks & slappers.

The high powered mini lights are very popular (until the lawyers decide we are blinding the perps).

I see a lot of the expandable batons at the moment. Some jurisdictions allow the Taser and aerosol irritants, but of course a UOF report is needed whenever they are deployed.