I believe the decision does not enhance public safety, but it is consistent. The policy avoids creating a privileged class.
I would like to believe this. Especially in the face of
CenturyLink management has decided that off-duty officers going to events at CenturyLink as fans can no longer bring guns through the gates.
That move isn't sitting well with many officers, who say bringing their weapons to events while off duty is part of their job to protect and serve, even as spectators.
which brings out my second-most-favorite rant: off-duty cops being "on duty" 24/7.
Best way to find out if a cop is "off duty" is to ask your state worker's compensation board how they would handle a claim when a cop, while "off duty" jumped in and began waving their badge around. They (WC boards) do like specific scenarios so they can address the various issues in play. I have a nice, crisp Federal Reserve Note saying that an "off-duty" cop at a ball game (or any other entertainment venue) that whipped out and started waving their badge until they got hurt would be told, bottom line, that they were not on the clock and therefore should have called 9-1-1 just like any other good citizen.
OTOH, many LEAs have written policy requiring sworn employees to carry (either their duty weapon or an approved alternative) while off duty. Most of the policies I have read (about 100 or so) address personal/officer safety, and are completely silent on the question of an "off-duty" LEO suddenly going back on the clock when they witness a crime in progress. (Yes, sworn officers have the authority to enforce all local laws locally, and usually all state laws statewide. At best that eliminates the worst of the pitfalls of making a citizen's arrest, but does not make them "on-duty" 24/7.)
If the cops are saying they must comply with department policy to carry 24/7 then they are SOL, as I have another crisp, new Federal Reserve Note that says there is no department policy that says they must attend a ball game as a fan.
stay safe.