Should police officers be able to carry their children while in uniform?

Question

My wife sometimes drops off my daughter ( her step daughter that she loves dearly ) while she is in uniform and carrying her duty gun in a level three locked holster. My daughters mother wrote a letter of complaint to my wifes boss stating that she is in fear for her daughters life because she could pull the gun out of the holster and shoot herself or someone else. Mind you that this is a trained police officer carrying a gun that is locked in a level three holster and the gun has a safety on it. Is this normal or is this woman looking for a reason to complain????? Just need a outside opinion

Answer 1

well either she really does fear for her daughter, in which case she needs to be educated and reassured, which should stop her complaining or yes she is just looking for a reason to cause you hassles

Answer 2

After being friends with several police officers , i know that it is not that easy to just pop the gun out and shoot herself. By the time the child got it out the step mom would be able to grab the gun away. It takes a lot of strength to pull the trigger on a service gun in most cases. More than a small child would have anyway. Plus they are heavy as all get out. I doubt your child could lift it very well.

Police are trained in weapons safety. They pick up children all the time when dealing with various calls on duty. So how can anyone complain?

I think the ex is looking for something to start up on. She may be wanting to keep the child from you. Or just trying to make you miserable and is most likely jealous of another woman handling her child. Sometimes the insecurity jumps in and women get weird worrying that the new mom is gonna take their baby's love from them.

Answer 3

I think she is overreacting a little bit. I grew up around guns and my dad kept a shotgun in the backwindow of our pickup when i was younger. Your wife is a trained police officer who has expierence in gun handling and gun safety. Even if your daughter did manage to get the gun out of the holster I'm sure your wife would be able to stop her before she shot herself or someone else, This woman is just being overly worried. I see no problem with it.

Answer 4

I see law enforcement holding their children all the time. For Kern and Tulare County in California (where I am at). I was told that when carrying either a victim or a loved one, carry the person on the opposite side of the gun.

If gun is on left. Hold the person on right. Etc.

This rule also applies to routine stops. I am extremly blunt and I am not afraid to tell a police officer that they are standing in the "danger" zone. I want them to keep up on their safety and not slack. It is mostly the sherrifs that don't pay attention. Highway patrol I have notice is always up to par on it. I don't get stop a lot. Only a few times for fix it tickets as I was driving step dad vehicle who don't fix things.. lol. I went on ride alongs with the police department. When walking up to the police car, the gun is angled away from the car out of physical grasp site of the driver. whether right or left handed determines where their gun is placed on belt.

I think she is looking out for her child and scared of guns obviously. My nephew was killed by a gun last september by an older teen trained in guns played with it as a toy. A few girls have died by officers gun not properly stored in gun locks.

cops can feel someone yanking on that holster. I think your wife would be aware and stop her from pulling it out.

I would talk to the mother about her concerns. Hopefuly she isn't doing this out of spite.

Answer 5

I see no problem with that at all. My ex fiance was a police officer, and my current boyfriend is a deputy sherriff, and we have always had guns in the house. The kids know they are dangerous, and we keep them in a safe. The cahnces of your daughter being able to pull the gun out of it's holster without your wife noticing is slim to none, so you need to tell you ex that she needs to settle down. Maybe she's not over you, and is jealous.

Answer 6

To be honest, I would be a little nervous. Not about the cop shooting herself, or the daughter, b/c she is highly trained, and skilled, but you never know what she might be obligated to do, if she see's a criminal robbing someone, or who knows what, and what actions, she may have to take at the blink of an eye. And who knows if once the criminal saw the cop, the criminal may have a weapon, you just don't know. I would be concerned but I would of talked to you (the father) Before writing to her boss, that would be the very last step I would take, if I even got the far. If the mom is uncomfortable, then just ask your wife nicely to stop, I'm sure she would understand 100%. At least I hope so. Good Luck!

Answer 7

No way that could happen, police guns and holsters are designed so perps can't use the officer's gun against them. If your ex's doesn't like the way your wife wears her gun, then your ex is welcome to drive her daughters to school. Your new wife is doing your ex a favor and she wrote a letter complaining about it? Your new wife should say I got your letter, I completely agree, please come and pick up the girls at 7:30 am. Frankly I think you traded up big time.

Answer 8

Being a mommy I totally understand where your ex is coming from. Yes, I know guns are in there safe and all of that because I am a criminal justice student.
Why not just have your new wife keep the gun somewhere else. Trunk of the car, golve department, wherever the child would not be able to get to it while she is going to be around the child? It would save a lot of stress for your ex and you and the wife would not have to deal with the ex complaining.

Answer 9

Sounds like the ex is looking for a reason to complain...and cause you stress...trying to get her in trouble at work...are you sure she's not my husband's EX?! Cause that woman STILL thinks that my husband will leave me and our sons and go back to her...she calls his job and tells his boss~ I don't work to help pay her child support...I can't wait to pop her in the face...Sorry..went off there...My EX is a cop and when we were separated...he stopped by to see our children (now 16 and 14) I was holding our youngest and our daughter who was just about 4 PICKED up his loaded gun OFF the coffee table and pointed it at me and said BANG! YOU'RE DEAD!! Like he had done to me in front of her before...THANK GOD the safety was on...or both my son and I would be gone....Your wife sounds like a VERY responsible officer of the law...IF it makes the EX feel any better...maybe she should lock the gun in the trunk...to shut her up!!!

Answer 10

Sounds like your ex-wife is just causing problems. Especially if your daughter understands...no touching the gun. I am the daughter of a policeman...and never had the thought too touch my Dad's gun. It was (I'm guessing) safely locked up at home, or he may have even left it at work. Your ex is just being a cow.

Answer 11

I would be worried too if I were in the mother's position, but if I were your wife, I'd say something like, "I don't know why you're so afraid of the police. I'm here to protect you and your children. The school is much safer because of my presence. I am a mother too, so I know how you feel."