Let’s review some gun safety rules. We’re cops, so of course we know the rules, right? Some of us have been carrying guns for years. Some of us are hunters and/or competition shooters. Some of us are military veterans. The more we shoot and hand handle our guns, the better we get with gun safety, right?
Well, not necessarily. Let’s consider our gun(s) safe at home. Many of us have more than one handgun at home. Do we keep them safe from our children and loved ones? Are they locked up and in a safe place?
Not many duty handguns like the Glock 19 have a safety on them — the safety is in the hands of the user. Many of us have long guns for hunting and sport, and many of us have home-defense shotguns — they too, must be secured.
Back in the 1970s, I was the victim of a burglary and had my duty weapon stolen (it was found in my closet). My bad.
I lost two days for failing to safeguard my weapon. The gun was recovered months later when PD made an apprehension of the burglar. I didn’t get my days back but got my gun back — and I learned a valuable lesson about securing or hiding my weapons better.
How many times have you read or heard on this site and the media of a young child getting hands on an officer’s weapon, killing or injuring a third party?
Does your family understand the dangers of firearms, or do you shelter them from even talking about them? Have you taken them to a range so they understand the power and damage a weapon can do?
I taught my children at a very young age to respect firearms and always treat any firearm as if it was loaded and ready to fire. They are both police officers now.
Finally, who in family knows your gun locations if something were to happen to you and they needed to retrieve your weapons to turn them in?
Talk to your family, secure those weapons, and remember a clean weapon is an operational weapon. Now that you read this, add some thoughts of your own. Get to the range and practice more often not just shooting but safety and control.
Gun safety should never be an accident — it should be mandatory.