NavyLCDR
member
Let me ask you this, Cee Zee (and others). Three situations, all occur at 10:00pm:
1. Officer is sitting in a cruiser on a street corner. Sees a car stop at a stop light, and then turn left through the empty intersection against the red light. Or clocks the oncoming car at 40 in a 25. Officer stops the offender, calls in the license plate number, vehicle registered to Joe Snuffy, no warrants.
2. Convenience store night clerk working the night shift, store is empty. Single car pulls into the parking lot and a large male exits the vehicle and enters the store.
3. Cab driver cruising downtown. Out in front of a bar a large male is hailing him to stop.
Which of the three is the most dangerous situation or the most stressful?
1. Officer is well trained (hopefully). He has several self defense weapons available. He has dispatch who knows exactly where he is at. He has a whole group of other officers on shift with him. He has probably lit up the stopped vehicle and observed the behavior of the driver and any occupants that are visible. Officer at least has an idea that the person the vehicle is registered to has no warrants. Isn't this the case with 90% of all traffic stops? The subject the officer has stopped is at the tactical disadvantage because of the lights the officer should have on them and because of the constraints of the vehicle, whereas the officer has several avenues of escape. If the officer is attacked, the whole police force and possibly neighboring police forces are going to rally to hunt down the perpetrator.
2. Convenience store clerk has no idea who just walked through the door, whether they are Joe Goodguy needing a cup of coffee, or a wanted felon looking to rob them. They likely have no weapons available or self defense training. They maybe have an equally untrained and unarmed partner working with them....maybe. They have very limited avenues of escape and are at the tactical disadvantage. They have to rely on being able to call 911 for help. If the convenience store clerk is attacked, how much effort will the police force expend to catch the criminal compared to situation #1?
3. Cab driver in pretty much the same situation as the convenience store clerk.
So, again, exactly why is situation #1 so much more stressful and dangerous than #2 or #3? Why should we, as the unknown subjects or customers in the three situations treat any one differently? Why do some people feel that situation #1 requires different actions regarding their lawfully carried concealed handgun and permit than situations #2 and #3 (unless state law requires it to be different)? It seems to me like situations #2 and #3 are actually more dangerous to the worker than #1 is.
1. Officer is sitting in a cruiser on a street corner. Sees a car stop at a stop light, and then turn left through the empty intersection against the red light. Or clocks the oncoming car at 40 in a 25. Officer stops the offender, calls in the license plate number, vehicle registered to Joe Snuffy, no warrants.
2. Convenience store night clerk working the night shift, store is empty. Single car pulls into the parking lot and a large male exits the vehicle and enters the store.
3. Cab driver cruising downtown. Out in front of a bar a large male is hailing him to stop.
Which of the three is the most dangerous situation or the most stressful?
1. Officer is well trained (hopefully). He has several self defense weapons available. He has dispatch who knows exactly where he is at. He has a whole group of other officers on shift with him. He has probably lit up the stopped vehicle and observed the behavior of the driver and any occupants that are visible. Officer at least has an idea that the person the vehicle is registered to has no warrants. Isn't this the case with 90% of all traffic stops? The subject the officer has stopped is at the tactical disadvantage because of the lights the officer should have on them and because of the constraints of the vehicle, whereas the officer has several avenues of escape. If the officer is attacked, the whole police force and possibly neighboring police forces are going to rally to hunt down the perpetrator.
2. Convenience store clerk has no idea who just walked through the door, whether they are Joe Goodguy needing a cup of coffee, or a wanted felon looking to rob them. They likely have no weapons available or self defense training. They maybe have an equally untrained and unarmed partner working with them....maybe. They have very limited avenues of escape and are at the tactical disadvantage. They have to rely on being able to call 911 for help. If the convenience store clerk is attacked, how much effort will the police force expend to catch the criminal compared to situation #1?
3. Cab driver in pretty much the same situation as the convenience store clerk.
So, again, exactly why is situation #1 so much more stressful and dangerous than #2 or #3? Why should we, as the unknown subjects or customers in the three situations treat any one differently? Why do some people feel that situation #1 requires different actions regarding their lawfully carried concealed handgun and permit than situations #2 and #3 (unless state law requires it to be different)? It seems to me like situations #2 and #3 are actually more dangerous to the worker than #1 is.