In most every agency it is a matter of personal preference and policy may come into play now and then. Some finish their shift and leave everything behind, to include a weapon. Many carry their duty weapon off-duty or some may carry something totally different.
I have a number of LEO friends, they all carry all the time. I think just due to the nature of what they do, they perceive the world as being probably even more dangerous than it is. Worth noting, all are cops in a big metro with a high crime rate, so that probably skews their views.
Yes. Many citizens in the US carry all the time. Depends a bit on laws in your state but most people (even in the US) would be surprised by how many people around them are carrying.
When I was LE, yes. We all carried when off duty nearly all of the time. My department’s policy was that if you were within our jurisdiction, you were expected to have your badge at all times and if you had your badge, you were required to have a sidearm. It was encouraged to carry your badge and gun whenever off duty unless you were doing something that would prohibit you from responding to something. Such as drinking at a bbq, out at the lake, or whatnot. Our credentials allowed us to carry concealed in places where carrying was not allowed. Like malls, government buildings, bars (as long as we weren’t drinking), stadiums, etc. This varies by state, however. Some states don’t allow this.
I’ve been out of the profession for over a decade and I rarely carry anymore.
depends on the cop. i know cops who only time they shoot is the week before the test they have to take time to time and never carry off duty. also believe it or not there is also cops who legally cant carry when off duty and some argue shouldn’t be allowed to be a cop because of. one of the gun rights groups (goal) did a study and found at least 15 cops in ma working who have convictions that makes them federally prohibited people. they legally cant touch a gun. they tried to get bring it to the state and get them fired but the state wouldn’t hear the case. think about that mass a anti gun state with strict gun laws wont even bring up the issue they have police officers with convictions that make them federally prohibited people.
why do alot of cops carry off duty/ besides the normal reason to conceal carry etc. often you will arrest some one and they get out on bail and run into those people. my uncle a Cambridge cop arrested some one on attempted murder, dude stabbed his gf 10 times. he was out in less then 3 days. my uncle ran into him walking out of a sub shop and the guy tried to attack him ..
In the town where I live and (pretty sure) the immediately contiguous towns, cops used to be required to carry a gun when off duty. But that requirement wasn’t universal, and I’m not sure it’s a requirement now. Source: I’m a former newspaper reporter, and I was on crime beat for two years.
Retired copper here. Our department required off-duty carry. Many do. The FBI did for years, then modified it slightly…. You had to have access to your firearm “if you needed it.”….
The theory was that as a commissioned officer, you were never really off duty. If you witnessed a crime in progress, you were legally bound to take action.
That’s relaxed now for some departments…. I went from my first department, a large county police outfit, to a university police agency that did not require off-duty carry.
So, depends on the agency.
I do and always carry my credentials when I’m off, even though the likelihood of needing it is small. Better to have and not need than need and not have.
I’m not a cop and I carry everywhere but we civilians are limited in how many states we can carry in. Police officers can conceal carry nationwide. This is possible due to LEOSA (Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act).
Wouldn’t be surprised if they do though I’ve no idea what policies that local/state LEOs have in place. I presume most have a CCW permit and would carry while off duty.
My ex, and everyone else on the force, always carried off duty. Ex used an ankle holster, smaller gun and he carried everywhere. Back then, you could board a plane with it if your creds checked out
The one I know does. If you’re used to carrying you’re used to carrying. I don’t know anybody who open carries but I know some people who take advantage of concealed carry
My brother is a LEO. I’ve traveled with him across different state lines with him for family vacations. He always has his badge and gun with him. We were even shopping at a mall one time and the police were chasing a guy through the mall. He flashed his badge and asked if they wanted help and they said yes. He ran down the perp and tackled him in the parking lot. The only place he hasn’t brought his gun, Disneyland.
Yes they can carry and I believe most do 24/7 in public. Also they still have their police powers when off duty. Meaning they can effect a warrant less arrest out of uniform and off the clock.
My first time seeing a gun up close in person was in a medical exam room because they in fact do carry their weapons off duty.
I had told a new patient they had to gown up in order for me to run an EKG and while I can’t remember the exact phrasing they used they told me they were carrying and placed it on the counter in what seemed to be a very specific manner. I might have been freaked out if I didnt see in their occupation in the chart.
Curious where you’re from.
In the US, many people police or not carry a firearm. It’s like our wallets. Heck, I even have one for winter and one for summer.
I’m in one of the liberalist northeast states and statistically 30% of us carry a firearm!
In some cities, towns, and states, you’ll find a lot of ordinary people carrying guns lol
There’s scenes in some movies where a guy will draw a gun on someone and then everyone in the room including the sweet old lady in the corner will pull a gun out too.
It’s funny in a movie, but it’s also fairly realistic lol
I don’t understand why they wouldn’t. My father kept his in the car unless he was in the house then it would come in with him. Usually. I had to check under his seat before I borrowed his car. He always had 2 or 3 full sized fire extinguishers in his trunk as well. I asked him why. ‘What am I supposed to do if I’m going along and then somebody’s car is on fire; stand there alongside the road and piss on it?’
It wasn’t particularly illegal for him to shoot vermin from the other side of the ditch around where he lived. He’d shoot at something if he didn’t want it in the area. He’d have a shotgun hidden underneath a bath towel because he wasn’t supposed to openly carry it and be flashing it around. He’d shoot at birds with it at certain times of the year because he knew when the farmers had seed in the fields and those bastards were eating up the crops before it had a chance to grow.
I have a family member who is a cop and they are supposed to always have their badge and side arm even when off duty. Basically the policy is they are off duty but never off the job. There were of course exceptions to the rule when carrying would be a problem. For example, when a group of us went to a national monument they did not carry because they knew it wasn’t allowed and didn’t feel like going thru the effort and paperwork of turning it over to be locked up until we left. So the gun stayed home for that excursion. It was a department policy and not a law so free exercise of judgment could be applied to any specific situation.
My FiL was a CA SO Sargent and only conceal carried on vacation in the woods oddly enough. Don’t know if he carried when on vaca to Arizona or the like but he didn’t otherwise.
Whoa have I got news for you. A lot of people carry guns everywhere. Lots of buildings have a sign in front saying specifically that “Guns are banned on these premesis”
Most police officers in the US choose to conceal carry a firearm on their person while off duty. It may not be their service weapon that they carry on their hip while on the job though. A full sized duty gun is worn outside the hip on a belt/holster, which would be uncomfortable to conceal (though some people do carry larger handguns). Carrying a gun on you for work makes you pretty comfortable with the concept, and most will tell you they’d rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
That said — anyone who can legally own a firearm can also (given a few extra steps depending on which state you are in) conceal carry. Some states have “open carry” laws, where a permit is not required to carry a firearm on your person. In other states, you must go through an educational class/range test and apply for a permit through law enforcement, typically valid for 5 years.
There are a few locations that are pretty universally illegal to conceal carry, even with a valid permit – goverment buildings, courthouses, schools, post office, a few other places. Some states have additional laws that ban conceal carrying in places that serve alcohol (bars, clubs, certain wedding venues, even hotels with bars can count). Now… private businesses like retail stores, movie theaters, stadiums, malls, hospitals, etc. can “ban” guns on their premises and post signage outside, BUT that doesn’t make it illegal. If someone chooses to conceal carry a firearm on private property despite signage banning firearms, the worst a private business can do is ask them to leave / potentially trespass said individual. Most people who conceal carry choose to take the risk and conceal their firearms, unless it’s a govmt building in the first list of truly illegal places to carry. It’s weird to think about, but most places you go publicly will probably have at least one person concealing a firearm, you just don’t know it.
Every officer I know does. But then again most of my friends also conceal carry, but my primary hobby is long range shooting, so my friends tend to be gun people.
Yeah, most do. In the U.S., off-duty officers are generally allowed (and often encouraged) to carry their service weapon, especially because they’re technically still expected to act if something serious happens. So yeah, you could totally be standing next to an off-duty cop in the frozen pizza aisle while they’re packing heat under a hoodie. It’s less ‘movie drama’ and more ‘just in case.’ Wild, but true.
A lot of people in the US conceal carry and they’re not even cops. In fact a lot of them don’t even have a permit for it (cuz they don’t care or because theyre usually a felon). If you’ve visited the US you’ve probably bumped into people that have a gun on them but it’s concealed enough for you to not know. You throw a rock in a crowd you’re likely to hit a few people that are carrying.
There are a LOT of people who carry guns who have never been in law enforcement. I did for a little while myself. Permit expired, didn’t bother getting a new one.
Comments
I have several friends who were cops, and yes, they carried their off-duty gun most of the time. My best friend’s was a silver snub-nose .38 revolver.
Yes. And once you are a cop for long enough you basically get a concealed carry permit for life that bypasses many state laws.
Many people carry a gun though, not just cops. Something like 22 states have permit less carry now.
In most every agency it is a matter of personal preference and policy may come into play now and then. Some finish their shift and leave everything behind, to include a weapon. Many carry their duty weapon off-duty or some may carry something totally different.
I have a number of LEO friends, they all carry all the time. I think just due to the nature of what they do, they perceive the world as being probably even more dangerous than it is. Worth noting, all are cops in a big metro with a high crime rate, so that probably skews their views.
I’ve known several and for the most part yes. Maybe not 24 seven but more often than not.
don’t need to be a cop to do that in the USA
Lots of people do, some states allow open carry, like in the old west(sort of)
Yes. Many citizens in the US carry all the time. Depends a bit on laws in your state but most people (even in the US) would be surprised by how many people around them are carrying.
Some do, and some don’t. Hell, this is America. Plenty of people who have never worked law enforcement in their life conceal carry on a daily basis.
They can, and lots of folks, not just cops do
When I was LE, yes. We all carried when off duty nearly all of the time. My department’s policy was that if you were within our jurisdiction, you were expected to have your badge at all times and if you had your badge, you were required to have a sidearm. It was encouraged to carry your badge and gun whenever off duty unless you were doing something that would prohibit you from responding to something. Such as drinking at a bbq, out at the lake, or whatnot. Our credentials allowed us to carry concealed in places where carrying was not allowed. Like malls, government buildings, bars (as long as we weren’t drinking), stadiums, etc. This varies by state, however. Some states don’t allow this.
I’ve been out of the profession for over a decade and I rarely carry anymore.
I can see why. What if they get recognized well off duty buy some person they put in jail or beat or who’s just a psycho.
I don’t think that’s a job. You can leave behind when you punch out.
Varies from state to state
Bro depending on where you are, most citizens do that
Not the same but I keep a knife on me
A lot of people not cops carry guns as a daily routine.
Thankfully many do, tons of fafo stories have a best possible outcome thanks to off duty cops on scene.
Oh yeah, along with millions of other people.
I’m in Tennessee and feel like most people carry. I’m certain off duty cops carry.
I’m not a cop but I carry mine so I imagine a good chunk of them do as well.
depends on the cop. i know cops who only time they shoot is the week before the test they have to take time to time and never carry off duty. also believe it or not there is also cops who legally cant carry when off duty and some argue shouldn’t be allowed to be a cop because of. one of the gun rights groups (goal) did a study and found at least 15 cops in ma working who have convictions that makes them federally prohibited people. they legally cant touch a gun. they tried to get bring it to the state and get them fired but the state wouldn’t hear the case. think about that mass a anti gun state with strict gun laws wont even bring up the issue they have police officers with convictions that make them federally prohibited people.
why do alot of cops carry off duty/ besides the normal reason to conceal carry etc. often you will arrest some one and they get out on bail and run into those people. my uncle a Cambridge cop arrested some one on attempted murder, dude stabbed his gf 10 times. he was out in less then 3 days. my uncle ran into him walking out of a sub shop and the guy tried to attack him ..
Some departments require off duty officers to carry firearms
Many people conceal carry, most of the time you can’t even tell.
yes
even retired ones, i believe
Nope we all have guns and mental health is too expensive.
Yes mostly
This is America!!!! Everybody carry guns
It’s a law in my town the head of household be armed. We have no police.
In the town where I live and (pretty sure) the immediately contiguous towns, cops used to be required to carry a gun when off duty. But that requirement wasn’t universal, and I’m not sure it’s a requirement now. Source: I’m a former newspaper reporter, and I was on crime beat for two years.
Retired copper here. Our department required off-duty carry. Many do. The FBI did for years, then modified it slightly…. You had to have access to your firearm “if you needed it.”….
The theory was that as a commissioned officer, you were never really off duty. If you witnessed a crime in progress, you were legally bound to take action.
That’s relaxed now for some departments…. I went from my first department, a large county police outfit, to a university police agency that did not require off-duty carry.
So, depends on the agency.
Can’t shoot people if you’re not carrying your gun
Always. Everywhere. Even church, nowadays.
I think many do yeah.
Everyone i know carries to the grocery store.
Many of us do, many do not.
I do and always carry my credentials when I’m off, even though the likelihood of needing it is small. Better to have and not need than need and not have.
Because it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
I’m not a cop and I carry everywhere but we civilians are limited in how many states we can carry in. Police officers can conceal carry nationwide. This is possible due to LEOSA (Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act).
Some do some don’t, depends on the department and personal preference
I’ve seen less US “off duty cop” vids than Brazil
I always conceal carry not a cop tho
Yes. And they’ll go out and get drunk with their gun on them. At least all the ones I’ve know did. All the time. Never without their gun.
Wouldn’t be surprised if they do though I’ve no idea what policies that local/state LEOs have in place. I presume most have a CCW permit and would carry while off duty.
Yeah. They will have off duty personal firearms
My neighbor is a retired cop (retired over 10 years ago) and he carries everywhere, even to my backyard BBQ
Yes. I had a brother in law who was a cop. He had a gun on him pretty much at all times.
My ex, and everyone else on the force, always carried off duty. Ex used an ankle holster, smaller gun and he carried everywhere. Back then, you could board a plane with it if your creds checked out
BIL is an FBI agent. He’s required to have a firearm at all times.
I have a friend who is a cop. He was out shopping with his family, and noticed that he was being trailed by someone that he had previously arrested.
Not having a gun, he went up to a security guard that he knew, who was an off-duty cop, and asked to borrow his weapon for that reason.
He sent his wife and kids to the car, and then purposefully let his tail see that he had a weapon. That ended the situation.
Jack never left home without a weapon again.
The one I know does. If you’re used to carrying you’re used to carrying. I don’t know anybody who open carries but I know some people who take advantage of concealed carry
Yes 100%.
My dad does….
Conceal carry EVERYWHERE.
Something to ponder on for others that also carry. “Allowed or Able”
Lots of LEO do it – I know at least for my local department it’s encouraged to carry off-duty.
It’s not just cops, either, concealed carry of a pistol is pretty common over here and legal in most places.
Dude, my granny carried heat I to the grocery store.
Yup
Yes
It feels like many people are armed 😬 I absolutely love all answers ❤️ thank you
My brother is a LEO. I’ve traveled with him across different state lines with him for family vacations. He always has his badge and gun with him. We were even shopping at a mall one time and the police were chasing a guy through the mall. He flashed his badge and asked if they wanted help and they said yes. He ran down the perp and tackled him in the parking lot. The only place he hasn’t brought his gun, Disneyland.
As far as I know they mostly do. Sometimes it’s required.
Yes they can carry and I believe most do 24/7 in public. Also they still have their police powers when off duty. Meaning they can effect a warrant less arrest out of uniform and off the clock.
Yes.
Good cops will have them hidden.
Stupid cops Will open carry.
And in general anyone who open carries who isn’t in uniform is an idiot
Everyone does that lol. There are people who carry assault rifles into gas stations to buy cigarettes
I’m not an officer. I carry a gun. God Bless 2A and constitutional carry laws
Yes your a police officer 24/7 not just when you’re on duty.
My first time seeing a gun up close in person was in a medical exam room because they in fact do carry their weapons off duty.
I had told a new patient they had to gown up in order for me to run an EKG and while I can’t remember the exact phrasing they used they told me they were carrying and placed it on the counter in what seemed to be a very specific manner. I might have been freaked out if I didnt see in their occupation in the chart.
Not just cops
Curious where you’re from.
In the US, many people police or not carry a firearm. It’s like our wallets. Heck, I even have one for winter and one for summer.
I’m in one of the liberalist northeast states and statistically 30% of us carry a firearm!
I’m not a police officer, and I carry a gun everywhere I go. Welcome to the USA.
In some cities, towns, and states, you’ll find a lot of ordinary people carrying guns lol
There’s scenes in some movies where a guy will draw a gun on someone and then everyone in the room including the sweet old lady in the corner will pull a gun out too.
It’s funny in a movie, but it’s also fairly realistic lol
Depends on the jurisdiction. The firm rule.
Regular people do that
Lots of people, not just cops, carry guns to the grocery store.
Yeah, you’re not supposed to but turns out cops make fun of other cops that don’t have their gun off duty!
source: worked at a cop bar
yes. a lot of us non police do too
Chance of a perp recognizing an officer is a real thing. Yes, off duty officers carry.
I don’t understand why they wouldn’t. My father kept his in the car unless he was in the house then it would come in with him. Usually. I had to check under his seat before I borrowed his car. He always had 2 or 3 full sized fire extinguishers in his trunk as well. I asked him why. ‘What am I supposed to do if I’m going along and then somebody’s car is on fire; stand there alongside the road and piss on it?’
It wasn’t particularly illegal for him to shoot vermin from the other side of the ditch around where he lived. He’d shoot at something if he didn’t want it in the area. He’d have a shotgun hidden underneath a bath towel because he wasn’t supposed to openly carry it and be flashing it around. He’d shoot at birds with it at certain times of the year because he knew when the farmers had seed in the fields and those bastards were eating up the crops before it had a chance to grow.
ALWAYS! They told us in the Academy that we would carry our gun in the back of our underwear to take out the garbage to the alley. … They were right.
I have a family member who is a cop and they are supposed to always have their badge and side arm even when off duty. Basically the policy is they are off duty but never off the job. There were of course exceptions to the rule when carrying would be a problem. For example, when a group of us went to a national monument they did not carry because they knew it wasn’t allowed and didn’t feel like going thru the effort and paperwork of turning it over to be locked up until we left. So the gun stayed home for that excursion. It was a department policy and not a law so free exercise of judgment could be applied to any specific situation.
It’s the USA, may as well assume everyone is carrying a gun at all times
Pretty sure in the IS half the states now have permitless concealed carry, so I imagine many people do.
My husband did when he was a rookie. He doesn’t want anyone to know he’s a cop now. Doesn’t carry one, no blue line stuff on our vehicles.
Im not a cop, I carry, because I can
My FiL was a CA SO Sargent and only conceal carried on vacation in the woods oddly enough. Don’t know if he carried when on vaca to Arizona or the like but he didn’t otherwise.
Whoa have I got news for you. A lot of people carry guns everywhere. Lots of buildings have a sign in front saying specifically that “Guns are banned on these premesis”
I’m not a cop and I carry a gun.
But to answer your question, some do some don’t. A friend of mine is a cop and he doesn’t.
Before a big Supreme Court case a few years ago even some of the more liberal states almost weren’t letting any one carry a gun even off duty cops.
Yes even people not cops carry guns to the store. It’s for hunting frozen turkeys
Most police officers in the US choose to conceal carry a firearm on their person while off duty. It may not be their service weapon that they carry on their hip while on the job though. A full sized duty gun is worn outside the hip on a belt/holster, which would be uncomfortable to conceal (though some people do carry larger handguns). Carrying a gun on you for work makes you pretty comfortable with the concept, and most will tell you they’d rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
That said — anyone who can legally own a firearm can also (given a few extra steps depending on which state you are in) conceal carry. Some states have “open carry” laws, where a permit is not required to carry a firearm on your person. In other states, you must go through an educational class/range test and apply for a permit through law enforcement, typically valid for 5 years.
There are a few locations that are pretty universally illegal to conceal carry, even with a valid permit – goverment buildings, courthouses, schools, post office, a few other places. Some states have additional laws that ban conceal carrying in places that serve alcohol (bars, clubs, certain wedding venues, even hotels with bars can count). Now… private businesses like retail stores, movie theaters, stadiums, malls, hospitals, etc. can “ban” guns on their premises and post signage outside, BUT that doesn’t make it illegal. If someone chooses to conceal carry a firearm on private property despite signage banning firearms, the worst a private business can do is ask them to leave / potentially trespass said individual. Most people who conceal carry choose to take the risk and conceal their firearms, unless it’s a govmt building in the first list of truly illegal places to carry. It’s weird to think about, but most places you go publicly will probably have at least one person concealing a firearm, you just don’t know it.
Buddy was a state trooper for 25 years. Said after training he felt naked without it. He was required to carry at all times so yeah.
Every officer I know does. But then again most of my friends also conceal carry, but my primary hobby is long range shooting, so my friends tend to be gun people.
In many places off duty police are required to carry while off duty.
They can if they want. It’s not required. But like others said, most areas allow it.
Each state has a little bit different law. California is not an open-carry state, so if you carry a gun it has to be concealed.
They carry to wash their lifted trucks, they are scared
Many people carry guns in the USA
Random people carry a gun with them everywhere they go (where it’s legal… probably where it’s illegal too).
Oh yea. My dad was a cop for 30 years. In that time, I don’t think he ever didn’t have a gun on him. On or off duty.
Yeah, most do. In the U.S., off-duty officers are generally allowed (and often encouraged) to carry their service weapon, especially because they’re technically still expected to act if something serious happens. So yeah, you could totally be standing next to an off-duty cop in the frozen pizza aisle while they’re packing heat under a hoodie. It’s less ‘movie drama’ and more ‘just in case.’ Wild, but true.
There was a cop in the choir at church when I was a kid.
He had his snub nose revolver in an ankle holster under his choir robe.
Um, grandma’s carry while off duty from bingo, my guy.
Some are required to, yes
Depending on the state, lots of people are carrying a gun anyway.
Why wouldn’t they? Crime doesn’t take a holiday.
My daughter was a police officer for ten years. She said she felt naked/exposed whenever she didn’t have a weapon on her.
Some do. It will depend on the police service.
A lot of people in the US conceal carry and they’re not even cops. In fact a lot of them don’t even have a permit for it (cuz they don’t care or because theyre usually a felon). If you’ve visited the US you’ve probably bumped into people that have a gun on them but it’s concealed enough for you to not know. You throw a rock in a crowd you’re likely to hit a few people that are carrying.
Not just police officers, but complete fucking morons.
Many do. Probably most.
Yes
There are a LOT of people who carry guns who have never been in law enforcement. I did for a little while myself. Permit expired, didn’t bother getting a new one.
A lot do.
Yes ! You are never off duty no matter where you are or how you’re dressed!