Question for you other cops

jbull380

jbull380

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Something I see on a lot of cop shows bugs the heck out of me. Now Ill be the first to tell you if its on TV it's probably garbage but.......do any of you guys work for a department that makes you put your pistol in your desk or lock up at the station? I know of no department in oklahoma that does this. Entering a jail is another matter. Talking about the police station or sheriffs office etc.
 
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I've been retired for some years now........ but as early as the mid 1980's, the Cole County Sheriff's Dept in Jeff City, Mo. had lock up/security boxes for their officers duty weapons & visiting officers at the main office/jail. We had stopped by to say howdy after dropping off a prisoner at the main penitentiary which was located in Jeff City. We figured when in Rome, do as the Roman's....... neither of us gave up our hideout/BUG guns though........
 
Television is entertainment, not reality. TV is a fake world, you are in the real world. LEO's should not pay attention to such nonsense.
 
Bajadoc said:
Television is entertainment, not reality. TV is a fake world, you are in the real world. LEO's should not pay attention to such nonsense.
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Yea but I bet it's done somewhere. Just wanted to know why.
 
Certainly not anywhere around here that I know of.

I dropped somebody at the nuthouse recently and they wanted me to come in and complete the paperwork. No problem.

Her: "Oh, you'll have to leave your gun in your car!"
Me: "Nope. He's in your place now, so he's your problem. Have a nice night."
 
When I was in uniform, your side arm was considered part of your uniform, and stayed on your hip from beginning to end of shift. The only exception was when escorting a prisoner into a secure jail / lockup, for obvious security concerns. When entering the troop or station, what security concern could there be that you would remove and store the weapon that was under your direct control? If anything, I could see that leading to the increased chance of an accidental discharge.

Larry
 
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The other place we had to lock them up here in Albuquerque was a courthouse. I always thought that was stupid, but it's the way it was. And probably still is.

Another annoying they do on cop shows is chamber a round after drawing their weapon. I guess it's meant to be dramatic.
 
Shark Bait said:
The other place we had to lock them up here in Albuquerque was a courthouse. I always thought that was stupid, but it's the way it was. And probably still is.

Another annoying they do on cop shows is chamber a round after drawing their weapon. I guess it's meant to be dramatic.
Click to expand...

Apparently they only shoot BGs in the leg, per dept training. This was said on a TV show with a straight face by a person playing a NYC cop. Fine actress. good show, but apparently nobody on the writing staff has ever shot a hand gun.
 
How else could we have the inevitable negligent discharges if they were locked up?

Don't think I have ever been in any Station house with any time on it...without a few holes in it.
 
No, the only time we surrendered our weapon was when we did a prisoner transport to the County jail. As we checked in our weapons were put into a lock box. After leaving the secured area we opened it and took them out. I couldn't even imagine being in uniform in a District station unarmed. You just never know who will come into an open front door. In those days the the front door was never locked. Later when I was promoted to a Detective we still remained armed throughout our tour. We also were required to carry off duty since they had a residency requirement at that time to get hired.
 
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Did make a quick stop at a service station outside entry restroom without checking out. Of course got a call and had to rush. Casually drove to the fight call about 40 blocks away. Got out, walked up to call, and noticed my my swagger was off, seemed about 5 pounds lighter on right side. Had left my Mod 58 on tank of toilet. Yelled at the two fighters to "work it out yourself" and sped off with lights and siren. M58 still on toilet tank and I still had my job.
 
Only when at the jail or in the holding cell areas of our stations.

The one stupid gun rule my department has is in regards to light duty. Light duty officers have to be in business casual clothes. They are usually at the front desk (behind bullet proof glass) or somewhere in the back taking phone reports. Light duty officers are not allowed to be armed. I think it's stupid to keep someone who is on light duty for a knee injury from carrying a gun because their injury doesn't affect gun handling. Thanks to a pocket holster and a 442, I didn't really follow that rule my stint on light duty.
 
We have all rolled our eyes at cop shows for many years.

My favorite gripe was watching cops on shows doing nothing but work one case from beginning to end, never an interruption. When I was a working detective I always had 50 or more active cases at any given time, and that was pre-cell phones so I had to spend hours and hours every day doing nothing but making calls and returning calls. One of the indispensable pieces of equipment was always a pocket full of dimes for pay phones.

No matter how good the chase was or how hard the bad guy resisted there was never any snappy background music.

As difficult as it may be for some of the younger folks to believe, we actually did all of our reports with paper and ink or a typewriter. I was just tickled to death when we got pocket tape recorders and a secretary to type our reports.
 
I'll tell you a true, but tragic, story - The US Border Patrol station in San Ysidro, CA., had an informal policy in 1956 that you put your sidearm in your desk drawer while you were in your office. That's what Bill Jordan did. A rookie officer asked him to demonstrate a few of his gun tricks, so Bill took his revolver out of his desk drawer (which he had unloaded earlier ) and proceeded to do a few gun tricks. The gun fired and the bullet passed through the wall and killed another agent at his desk in the adjoining office. Unknown to Bill, another Agent had placed his loaded revolver of the same make ( S&W) as Bill's gun in the same drawer and Bill took out the gun, thinking it was his. I know, because I was there. I knew Bill from a few years previous when I worked as an Army MP in El Paso & Juarez. He retired shortly after the unfortunate incident of a negligent discharge. Ed.
 
Cascading failure......

opoefc said:
I'll tell you a true, but tragic, story - The US Border Patrol station in San Ysidro, CA., had an informal policy in 1956 that you put your sidearm in your desk drawer while you were in your office. That's what Bill Jordan did. A rookie officer asked him to demonstrate a few of his gun tricks, so Bill took his revolver out of his desk drawer (which he had unloaded earlier ) and proceeded to do a few gun tricks. The gun fired and the bullet passed through the wall and killed another agent at his desk in the adjoining office. Unknown to Bill, another Agent had placed his loaded revolver of the same make ( S&W) as Bill's gun in the same drawer and Bill took out the gun, thinking it was his. I know, because I was there. I knew Bill from a few years previous when I worked as an Army MP in El Paso & Juarez. He retired shortly after the unfortunate incident of a negligent discharge. Ed.
Click to expand...

Somebody asking to see gun tricks on the same day the other officer had an identical gun in the same drawer. Seems like all it takes for something bad to happen is for the three cherries to like up on the one armed bandit.
 
I did the initial and annual police evaluations for the VA hospital where I worked and our cops said the rule was supposed to be that all law enforcement bringing patients in were supposed to check their firearms with our security. It never happened.

Toward the end of my time there our cops were issued Beretta 92 pistols that were ordered nationwide with magazine safeties. They were to be carried with the magazine removed and if I recall correctly with a live round in the chamber.
 
Being in corrections--where I was at--at no times while inside all rows of razor wire--were we allowed to carry.In between rows of razor wire--no probs. Before entering--we sent them up to Picket one--orif the armory was open? just checked them in there. Imainly did escourts and picket duty but--about one third the time--I was inside.The only things you could have inside--were billy clubs and gas grenades. Outside however--I had my pick of: a three fifty seven,a Winchester thirty thirty,an AR fiveteen and a shotgun.Ialways had the handgun and carried the Winchester--as im not much a fan of ARs.Sorry--I like the Western look better.

Now doing escourts--at all times no matter where we were--you were armed. I had the sidearm and the Winchester. Others had sidearms and or shotguns or the AR. As far as I know--im the only one who chose the Winchester---their loss. :rolleyes:
 
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dougb1946 said:
Apparently they only shoot BGs in the leg, per dept training. This was said on a TV show with a straight face by a person playing a NYC cop. Fine actress. good show, but apparently nobody on the writing staff has ever shot a hand gun.
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Dand, wish I'd been on da tube with her. I'd say shooting in the leg is great until your 1st bad guy is an octopus.
 
dougb1946 said:
Apparently they only shoot BGs in the leg, per dept training. This was said on a TV show with a straight face by a person playing a NYC cop. Fine actress. good show, but apparently nobody on the writing staff has ever shot a hand gun.
Click to expand...

Dang, wish I'd been on da tube with her. I'd say with an equally straight face that shooting in the leg is great until your 1st bad guy is an octopus.

Lock boxes only when going into the lock up area, dropping folks off at the old Prison in Jefferson City, Mo or mental institutions. Usually left them in the car rather than trust other locations lock box.

Lets see, you are dealing with some of Mother Earth's most dangerous scum, they would kill or maim you for a cigarette. Their pack members come to visit.

So I want to put my most prized work tool in a drawer?

It is TV, before, during and after the internet TV was the 1st place you heard the truth, right?

I can not watch cops shows except ones like COPS and have not watched any in years.

My wife is an RN BSN, she can not watch TV medical shows.

We both agree written TV comes under the heading fantasy. We watch some cable stuff, but have not watch TV in many years now.

Good example, a year or two ago we were at her parents house. They said we'll continue the visit after we watch our favorite show, NIC something. we said whats that? Oh it's a lifelike COP show. Uh huh. Never heard of it. We don't watch TV. After the intro wife and I went outside to cleanse our eyes of TV BS and enjoy the real stars, ones in the Milky way.
 
jbull380 said:
Something I see on a lot of cop shows bugs the heck out of me. Now Ill be the first to tell you if its on TV it's probably garbage but.......do any of you guys work for a department that makes you put your pistol in your desk or lock up at the station? I know of no department in oklahoma that does this. Entering a jail is another matter. Talking about the police station or sheriffs office etc.
Click to expand...

I've seen this on NCIS and other police show, and always wondered about that.
 
opoefc said:
I'll tell you a true, but tragic, story - The US Border Patrol station in San Ysidro, CA., had an informal policy in 1956 that you put your sidearm in your desk drawer while you were in your office. That's what Bill Jordan did. A rookie officer asked him to demonstrate a few of his gun tricks, so Bill took his revolver out of his desk drawer (which he had unloaded earlier ) and proceeded to do a few gun tricks. The gun fired and the bullet passed through the wall and killed another agent at his desk in the adjoining office. Unknown to Bill, another Agent had placed his loaded revolver of the same make ( S&W) as Bill's gun in the same drawer and Bill took out the gun, thinking it was his. I know, because I was there. I knew Bill from a few years previous when I worked as an Army MP in El Paso & Juarez. He retired shortly after the unfortunate incident of a negligent discharge. Ed.
Click to expand...

That is a sad story, but what surprised me is that Bill Jordan, as
educated and informed as he was about firearms, would pick up a
gun and not inspect it to see if it was loaded. As we all know,
"A gun is always loaded. Treat it as such"
Even when I take a gun I know is unloaded out of my safe, I
always check to make sure that it is.
I am not passing judgment, but I am surprised at the situation.

JMHO
Stu
 
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