(Newswire.net — September 6, 2020) — As a police officer, it’s easy to switch your brain on when you’re on-duty. But when you go off-duty, there’s a temptation to let up your guard and relax a bit. And while you certainly deserve to relax, today’s world requires you to remain vigilant of your surroundings.
5 Off-Duty Personal Protection Tips
When most people clock out of the office, finish a shift at work, or turn off the lights at their place of business and go home, they’re able to perform a total and complete shift. They don’t just physically break from work for the evening or the weekend – they also mentally and emotionally turn off that aspect of their lives.
As a law enforcement officer in today’s sensitive, polarizing environment, you don’t have this luxury. The nature of your job means you must continually prioritize your safety (and that of your family) 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The question is, how much attention to detail is enough? And how much is too much? In other words, where do you strike the balance?
There may not be any perfect answers to these questions, but here are a few off-duty personal protection tips that should help officers like yourself stay safe and vigilant at all times.
1. Always be Armed
There are few (if any) off-duty scenarios where you should ever be unarmed. The risks are simply too great (and too many) to ignore. If you’re carrying your badge with you, you absolutely need to have a firearm on your person.
Don’t have an off-duty weapon you’re comfortable with? Now’s a good time to go shopping for a practical gun that’s accurate and easy to conceal. (With the Glock Blue Label Program, you can receive discounts on numerous pistols and handguns.)
If you do carry a different gun when you’re off-duty, be sure to train with this firearm just like you train with your on-duty weapon. Focus on accuracy over speed and train to draw and fire from a variety of positions while wearing different clothing. (It often shocks new officers how different it is to draw in civilian clothes than uniform clothing.)
2. Always Have a Plan
It’s cliché but true: A failure to plan is a plan to fail. By way of your profession, you’re much more likely to find yourself in high-risk scenarios (on-duty or off-duty) than the average civilian family. Instruct your family on what to do if you’re forced into action. Give them step-by-step rules on how to get out of harm’s way if you’re forced into a sensitive situation.
You’ll have to decide how detailed you want to get with your family plan, but some police officers use code words to alert family members to potentially dangerous situations. If you choose to do this, be sure to rehearse and practice what happens when these signals are sent.
3. Never Show Your Badge
You’ll find that many officers carry two wallets: One for their police ID and badge and another for personal identification, cash, and credit cards. This is something that’s highly recommended.
You never want to flash your ID or badge unless it’s intentional. Giving someone an accidental peek at your badge when checking out at the supermarket carries way more risks than benefits. It’s best to conceal your law enforcement status in most scenarios.
4. Go Easy on Social Media
You naturally have very strong feelings about your job and the role of law enforcement agencies in the community. But here’s the deal: Social media is not the place to voice your opinions or concerns. Nothing good comes from that. Keep a low profile on social media. (Better yet, get off of it altogether.)
5. Invest in Home Security
You might feel fully capable of protecting your family when home, but the problem is that you’re only home for a few hours each week. For the moments when you’re away, a home security system can be invaluable. Get one with cameras for additional piece of mind.
Never Let Down Your Guard
Being a law enforcement officer is never easy. The hours are long, the stress is high, and the pay isn’t what it should be. But your job carries meaning, purpose, and value to your community and family. Staying aware of your surroundings and safety, regardless of whether you’re on-duty or off-duty, will ensure you can continue to fulfill the role you’re intended to carry out for many more years to come.