I guess just like a civilian, you can't carry when drinking or under the influence.

I assume most LEOs carry when off duty, so how do you grab a burger and beer after work? Leave the weapons in the car? Or just don't drink?

https://www.wcnc.com/article/n...ea-ab6d-598b89e57e19

DWI and having a burger and beer are two different things. What was his BAC?

That’s a quick way to throw a hard earned career away.

Unless he’s military, he’s a civilian too although some don’t want to believe that.

quote:

Originally posted by mikeyspizza:
I guess just like a civilian, you can't carry when drinking or under the influence.

I assume most LEOs carry when off duty, so how do you grab a burger and beer after work? Leave the weapons in the car? Or just don't drink?

I can legally carry while drinking. So can every other CCW permit holder in Utah.

It’s a NC thing. The law that exempts LE from the CCW statute expressly forbids carrying with ANY ALCOHOL in their system, or other unlawful substance. Anytime I’ve known a cop charged with DWI with a concealed gun they were also charged with CCW. The troopers especially seem to make sure to tag it on.

Another favorite of DAs is “Failure to Discharge Duties”. Most of the time when cops are charged with a criminal offense related to their position they add it. If convicted they can never be in law enforcement again per the statute. It’s actually written for dirty politicians, but that doesn’t stop them. And nearly every case I’ve seen was political grandstanding. If you can imagine that...


To the question, I just don’t drink much. And never when carrying concealed.

When I was policing I could count on one hand the number of times I had a drink if we were out. Because we couldn’t carry with any alcohol in our system.

I also arrested a co-worker one night after he passed out at the wheel on the railroad tracks. I called a trooper come in to run the test so there was no attempt at brushing it under the rug. The Chief didn’t fire the guy until he was convicted almost a year later.

Another time a co-worker got stopped by a trooper in town and blew over the limit. The Chief didn’t fire that guy either. Cop finally took a plea a year later and got probation and was allowed to keep his job. He never even attempted to arrest someone for alcohol violations after that.

I think if you can’t control yourself enough to not break the law, then you should t be enforcing them.

quote:

Originally posted by mikeyspizza:
I assume most LEOs carry when off duty, so how do you grab a burger and beer after work? Leave the weapons in the car? Or just don't drink?

Far from it. I'd estimate about a third carry regularly, a third carry sometimes, and a third never do. Of those that carry occasionally, most of those carry when they're going to training and stuff where they are probably statistically least likely to need it.

If I'm off on any part of the split, it's that I'm overestimating those that carry.

^^^^^^

This. You’d be surprised how little off duty cops carry.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
I also arrested a co-worker one night after he passed out at the wheel on the railroad tracks. I called a trooper come in to run the test so there was no attempt at brushing it under the rug. The Chief didn’t fire the guy until he was convicted almost a year later.

Did you gave any backlash for that?

I just generally avoid doing it. I think I had a beer once with a meal out. One time that I can recall.

In Texas, carrying while drinking alcohol, while not advisable, is not necessarily illegal. Carrying (under CHL) while intoxicated is illegal. The definition of intoxicated is the same for CHL as it is for DWI. There is no lower BAC limit for intoxication for CHL or driving. There is, however, an upper limit where one is legally presumed intoxicated for either driving or CHL, 0.08 being the threshold in Texas. Equal to 0.08 or over. Under 0.08 you just might be intoxicated and I guess it would be up to an officer whether to administer a field sobriety test.

I don't drink when armed in public. This means I don't drink in the United States in public.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
^^^^^^

This. You’d be surprised how little off duty cops carry.

I don't know the situation today, but some years ago I understand all LEO in Texas were required to carry when off-duty.

flashguy

quote:

I think if you can’t control yourself enough to not break the law, then you should t be enforcing them.

If we applied this philosophy to every public servant we'd wind up without a congress.

quote:

Originally posted by ammodotcom:

quote:

I think if you can’t control yourself enough to not break the law, then you should t be enforcing them.

If we applied this philosophy to every public servant we'd wind up without a congress.

That is very true and not an excuse to not try to hold those that we can to some kind of standards.

I carry every single day, and I’d never do so with as much as a drop of alcohol in my system. Especially these days where the profession is so clearly under attack.

Carrying and drinking always brings out those who link evil of the drop with the evil of a firearm for some reason.
I never understood why you have to give up your rights when you drink?
Is it always wise? No, especially if you can't handle it.
Ultimately, you have to accountable for your actions and carrying doesn't hurt anyone drunk or sober.
It's when you pull the trigger that you have to be accountable for.
Again, not always wise but just carrying and having a drink should not be a crime.
IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
Did you gave any backlash for that?

NONE at all.

I think it was because he was a POS that would never show up for calls, never be in his beat, always showed up late. The only thing he did right was showing up for off duty gigs where they paid cash. Dude was uniformally hated by every officer who met him. (Even the other lazy slugs)

W/I six months he had another Dwi and we began arresting him for drugs and whatnot. He was a “box checker” hiring. After his arrest his background came out and the rest of us couldn’t believe what got waivered.

Thanks for all the responses/info.

quote:

Originally posted by ammodotcom:

If we applied this philosophy to every public servant we'd wind up without a congress.

You say that like it would be a bad thing...

Carrying a firearm and driving motor vehicles both require the "operator" to be responsible and accountable. I'm not a big drinker, but having a single beer or glass of an alcoholic beverage does not equate to being under the influence. Police officers are trained to understand this principle and ought to apply it to themselves voluntarily. If they can't, are stopped, and shown to be under the influence, they should be held accountable administratively as well as criminally.