LEO: Two guns on duty belt?

[squire]

I went in to a golf store in Orlando yesterday and they had an Orlando police officer working security in full uniform. I noticed that the officer had two guns on his duty belt. One in the traditional position, 3 o'clock, and one in a cross draw position at about 10 o'clock. I've never seen that before. How common is that type of carry?

 

[RON in PA]

I've never seen this, but it makes sense as the crossdraw gun is the easily available one when the officer is driving.

Were the handguns autos or revolvers?

 

[squire]

They were both autos.

 

[Roadkill Coyote]

Odds are the crossdraw was a Taser. the subject just got covered fairly well over in: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=59661

 

[MrFreeze]

While you were in Orlando, squire, did you visit Bass Pro Shops? That place is crazy! Also, if you have any favorite places to shoot in Tampa, please keep me updated!

Travis

 

[SouthpawShootr]

I'm surprised this guy wore his secondary in a cross draw. Most departments consider this position to be patently unsafe. I believe all the departments in my area specifically forbid crossdraw for duty as well as off-duty - I know Chesapeake does. They believe, and I agree, that this position is the easiest way for an officer to lose his gun in a struggle. A minor point is that they are trying to discourage the gunslinger look. Also, I can't think of a single department that allows more than one gun on a duty belt for uniform patrol officers.

 

[Big Mike]

I saw a LVMPD officer in Las Vegas a few years ago who had a Glock on his holster-waist, and another in a thigh holster on his leg, both right side. He reminded me of a mall ninja on steroids.

 

[BluesBear]

Several departments in my area do this, the second gun is always a Taser.

The new generation Tasers are quite a bit smaller than the older ones, about the size of a Glock.