|
I'm a Calif. LEO. I could take my firearm with me to the gym if I wanted to and leave it in a locked locker while I am officiating, but I can't think of any reasonable/responsible reason that I should, so I don't. I rely upon the on-site security for safety issues. I think that if I ever get to the point where I feel that I have to be armed before I feel safe leaving a game ... well, that's probably about the time I hang up my whistle. Granted, to date I've only worked HS volleyball, but I can't imagine my attitude changing when I start HS basketball this year or the next.
Even as a spectator arriving at at game immediately after work, I can only think of a handful of times over the past 15 or so years that I went into a gym armed. It seems unnecessary, and the likelihood of needing to use it is slim; combine that with the danger of being in a crowded gym, kids everywhere, etc. it's a potential bad situation that I would rather just avoid.
There are some jurisdictions that require their LEOs to carry off duty as long as they are not drinking, some departments "encourage" their officers to carry off duty, I work for an agency that simply give me the option; and I typically choose not to. I'd rather be a good witness than a dead off duty cop. With that said, there are more that a couple people in a Salt Lake City mall on 2/12/2007 that owe their lives to an off duty Ogden police officer who was carrying his firearm and engaged a gunman who was shooting randomly at shoppers in the mall.
The famous crime writer Joseph Wambaugh wrote that the off duty handgun, often the very first purchase for a rookie police officer, is in all likelihood the one item that will surely get him/her into trouble faster than anything else.
|