Mindset and concerns relating to the carrying and deployment of firearms in a non-uniformed and off-duty capacity.

1. Legal Defense FundInsurance & Benefits TrustRetiree Medical Trust
CONSIDERATIONS FOR OFF-
DUTY ENCOUNTERS –
KEEPING YOURSELF AND
YOUR FAMILY SAFE
February 4, 2020
BRIAN DICKEY
Sergeant
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
While the common primary focus of law enforcement
training involves the use and deployment of an extensive
array of tools, off-duty issues are rarely addressed. The
uniformed peace officer has not only their command
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2. presence, but also weapons and a radio for instant
communications. For the most part, suspects contacted are
usually cooperative and exhibit no threatening behavior to
law enforcement, due in no small part to the very image of
the modern peace officer.
This article is by no means meant to relax officer safety or
ignore the small percentage of criminals who murder peace
officers every year. Its purpose is to recognize an area many
have not trained for or given much thought to. How many
officers have had a “what if” talk with a ride-along or a new
partner? How many have had a similar talk with their
significant other, especially when carrying off-duty?
As critical as it is to know what a partner is going to do on
patrol, isn’t it even more critical for a family to know what
their role (and yours) is? Obvious consideration for the ages
of family members must also be given. Some officers may
adamantly refuse to get involved in any situation with family
members present; others may evaluate each given situation
and weigh the risks. These decisions are the individual’s to
make, and the information provided below can serve as a
template for that important discussion.
Because both the family and the officer have set parameters
and roles, there are separate issues identified for each as
they relate to the listed topic.
Pre-Planning and Situational Awareness
Officer:
The 5.11 cap and other off-duty accoutrements are a
dead giveaway of our vocation. Tactically themed
clothing items, and even window stickers on a vehicle,

3. are clues for the observant criminal. Hopefully, the
days of the black fanny pack are gone.
What is worn off-duty enables or can inhibit the
carrying of firearms, ID, a reload, phone and other
tools that might be needed.
Off-duty activities need to be addressed, such as
drinking alcohol if carrying a firearm. (This may also
be an agency policy requirement.) Being a peace
officer, especially in this day and age, is more a
lifestyle and frankly requires an increased
commitment.
Family:
What is a safe area and where is it located? If
something were to happen and the family was
separated, where would they meet?
Scenario-based training works, and providing it to
family members increases safety. It can be as simple
as: When the family is returning to their vehicle after a
movie, they see a suspect breaking into it. What does the
family do? If the suspect runs, what happens? This is an
example of the types of scenarios that need to be
discussed.
9-1-1/Emergency Services
Officer:
Communication is as important off-duty as it is on-
duty, if not more so. The inherent weakness that
comes with the loss of equipment and the presence
of family members makes a speedy uniformed
response a safety priority.
Does the officer entrust communication of

4. information to a family member? Does it matter how
old the family member is? This enables priority focus
of the officer.
Does your agency train to use a cellphone when the
officer’s weapons are drawn? What are the safety
considerations with this?
Family:
Jurisdictionally, do they know who to contact in an
emergency?
What kind of information does 9-1-1 need? Where is
the location? What is a direction of travel? Vehicle and
suspect identifiers? While this information can be
second nature to a peace officer, it usually is not to
civilians, no matter their relationship to law
enforcement. Again, this might be dependent on age.
Cover Versus Concealment
Officer and family:
Depending on the weapon used by the suspect(s), if
any, what in the area will protect you? If ballistic
protection is not available, hiding is the next best
thing.
Off-duty usually means no body armor; recognize
that.
What will protect family members from bullets?
Familiarity With Off-Duty Firearm/Drawing/Equipment
Officer:
Most peace officers train the majority of their time

5. with their primary duty handgun, and from a standard
duty-type holster. This holster normally presents the
weapon for what is referred to as a clear configuration
(no covering/concealment). The officer needs to
practice drawing (sometimes unobtrusively) from the
position of carry. This needs to be done while seated
in a vehicle or a chair, walking, standing and even
prone. The carry option that allows these varied
draws is the one to use. Ankle carry, while great for
concealment, can be very difficult and sometimes
impossible to reach. Think of when you are most
vulnerable, whether it is sitting in a car or a theater.
There are two classic arguments in the realm of
gunfighting: large number of rounds versus large
caliber. Agency requirements notwithstanding, a .22-
caliber handgun can kill, but the skill to consistently
do so under stress removes it from normal
consideration. While the larger calibers may afford
more incapacitation probability, the bulkiness of the
weapon may cause one not to carry it, or may cause it
to be seen by a suspect. Keep in mind, firearms
performance is directly related to the type and
components of the ammunition used. While agency
specifics need to be followed, the selection of
ammunition is critical, requiring training and as much
research as the choice of weapon carried.
The strength of concealed carry is the concealment.
If the off-duty officer can “hide” in plain sight, they are
afforded options. The uniformed officer walking into a
bank robbery has fewer options. The phrase “be a
good witness” is often good advice.
As important as the firearm is, the presentation of
agency identification and ensuring responding assets
know a peace officer is on site is critical to everyone’s
safety. Training needs to involve the displaying of

6. credentials and verbal announcements to be realistic.
Carry a reload that is accessible.
The carrying of restraints and other force options
needs to be addressed. Recalling personal experience
in instructing a law enforcement academy, while the
cadets deal with armed suspects safely and tactically,
they’re most often “killed” during the handcuffing,
when they close that critical gap and approach a
dangerous suspect. How is that going to be
accomplished, if at all? Is the off-duty officer going to,
in essence, wear full equipment? Absent employing
agency requirements, is the officer able to utilize
hands and feet as intermediate options? Does
resorting to these personal weapons place the officer
too close to the suspect? Is there only one suspect?
Family:
Tactical evolution of equipment has seen a wide
variety of holster materials and retention
mechanisms. With obvious safety concerns, are
family members able to draw the firearm if the officer
is incapacitated? Are they able to reload it? Obviously,
this is an age/maturity-dependent issue.
On-duty and off-duty are two separate worlds. The
equipment and clothing are different, but most importantly,
the mindset can be catastrophically different. Family,
vacations and the need to decompress from our shared
stressful occupation are all factors that may place us and
our families in jeopardy. While the myriad concerns raised in
any off-duty incident can compromise a safe outcome,
coming up with a strategy before it’s needed can benefit all
concerned.

7. Editor’s note: This article is for informational purposes only.
Please make sure you abide by your respective department’s
policies and procedures.
About the Author
Sergeant Brian Dickey is a second-generation sheriff’s deputy
with over 33 years of service with the Santa Barbara County
Sheriff’s Office. He is a recognized firearms instructor and
armorer, having spent 14 years as the agency’s rangemaster. He
is currently assigned to patrol.
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