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Do LE officers carry knives

J

jscalia

Joined
Dec 11, 2006
Messages
126
What percentage of LE officers do you think carry knives, what do they carry, and what do they use them for?
 
Just met a few Game Wardens a few weeks ago as I was coming out of the woods. I happened to notice they were both carrying Buck 110's on their belts.
Scott
 
Any I've ever met or known all carried a knife, in he 70s-80s most carried the tried and true Buck 110 or a Schrade LB series, now many have moved on to Spydies and BM, there are also those who carry some brand of Multiplier and consider the knife on the tool is good enough.

I don't know any LEOs tha carry a knife as a backup or at least if you ask 'em they'll tell ya it's for cuttin' seatbelts and openin' packages.

My Brother in Law was on the job for 30 years before he retired and he carried a Buck 110 and a Leatherman.
 
I am not leo but I work with them frequently (traffic signal repair).They all carry knives,usually whatever they confiscate from gang-bangers.

ak
 
ak645 said:
I am not leo but...They all carry knives,usually whatever they confiscate from gang-bangers.
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As far as LEOs at large that I've come in contact with I'd say the above quote is pretty accurate. As far as the Campus police that I know, only of them actually has a knife that I've ever noticed. Its a small POS CCC from Beretta that he got as a gift from someone he knew who worked for Beretta. The other officers seemed to think it was novel that the guy actually had a knife on him at all. Weird...
 
Most of the LEO's I know carry POS knives. Funny when you think about what some of them spend on their guns and flashlights. I asked a buddy of mine once "how often have you used that $1000.00+ Kimber?" He said he only shot it at the range a few times in 3 years. But he used a $20.00 knife every day and had to replace it all the time (lock failed, tip breakage and so on) I just shake my head and keep on cutting.
 
Can't speak for the locals. About 70% of Feds carry decent folders and NONE carry confiscated knives.... they're not theirs to carry.
 
Yes the do, most I know just cary a gerber or such. Some are knife heads and own great knives like Hinderers and such. Stretch I really doubt you know all feds and can say if they have ever bent the rules. LEO's do break laws to and confiscated goods of all kind have "gone missing". There have even been LEO's sent up for selling confiscated drugs. Now I am a big fan of LEO's in general, but to say none of them break the law seems to be a unqualified blanket statement at best.
 
I no manyt Leo's and many caRRY knives that asre suited for cuttin suit belts and serrated edges...
they seem to care for micarta or "g---10" and finger holes.
if you know what i mean.

maybe a buck kinfe/
 
I work with law enforcement fairly often too, getting them surveillance tapes and whatnot for our locations, and most I've talked too were carrying Berretta type junk too. 2 Exceptions, one State Officer had a nice BM in his vest pocket and when I showed him the Sebbie I was carrying he immediately tried flipping it open and asked why it didn't work.:o The second was a Detective who had a fairly nice auto although I don't remember the brand right now. I also think it's funny that they spend so much on the stuff they will most likely never use and then get the cheapest knife possible. Ah well.

oil
 
I'd say a very high percentage. I use to sell knives and a great deal of my customers were LE, though I can't say they all had good taste.

Helle
 
Most of the LEOs I associate with carry a folder, S & W or similar. Some are gifts from well meaning family members and the like. Can't remember ever seeing anything BM or Spyderco.
 
good friend of mine who is LEO is carrying a waved Endura, cause I gave it to him :p He's carried a few cheapie autos, they seem enamored with them for whatever reason.
 
I bumped into a LEO at an indoor firing range that was interested in what I was shooting. I let him fire off a couple of rounds until I noticed The Pocket Clip. It was an Microtech Mini-Socom (automatic) with green anodized handles. Never held one until that point; nice knife! I don't think he was a Knife Person though... said his girlfriend bought it for him, and he didn't even bother to ask what I was carrying at the time.
 
ak645 said:
I am not leo but I work with them frequently (traffic signal repair).They all carry knives,usually whatever they confiscate from gang-bangers.

ak
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Wouldn't that constitute theft? Anyway, I've a friend who's husband is a LEO, and he explained that cops carry a knife, (weak side, I assume, for weapon retention... You go for their gun, and end up needing lots of stitches....
 
hardheart said:
He's carried a few cheapie autos, they seem enamored with them for whatever reason.
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Because they CAN carry them in states that don't allow their citizens to own/carry them. (Which I think is technically wrong, in Illinois anyway, as I thought only a 1 armed person can LEGALLY carry one here. But who's gonna say something to the police?:o )
 
i carry two. an emerson combat karambit support side, and a cqc 13 strong side.

anything i 'confiscate' gets booked along with the gangster.
 
BigJimSlade said:
Yes the do, most I know just cary a gerber or such. Some are knife heads and own great knives like Hinderers and such. Stretch I really doubt you know all feds and can say if they have ever bent the rules. LEO's do break laws to and confiscated goods of all kind have "gone missing". There have even been LEO's sent up for selling confiscated drugs. Now I am a big fan of LEO's in general, but to say none of them break the law seems to be a unqualified blanket statement at best.
Click to expand...


No Big Jim, I didn;t mean to say that they don;t fudge. Of course there are exceptions to the rules.... and no, of course I don;t know them all. What I meant was, Feds are not going to seize a knife and carry it (although, in rare instances it could happen). Let me put it this way..... in my small little circle, in my 22.5 year career, I have yet to see or even hear of a Fed carrying a seized or confiscated knife. By "hear of" I don;t mean hear on the news, I mean hear from peers.

Locals now (PD, SO, and State)? Not that they're dishonest - they're not, but they generally have a much less stringent accountability system when it comes to seized property. This means that the opportunity is there and, for those few with slightly less scruples, some might be overly-tempted.
 
I'm a reserve cop - I carry a Benchmade Emerson CQC7 - but will be switching over to my CRKT M-16 14SF (I'd hate to lose that benchmade in a foot pursuit) - most of the full time guys carry a pocket knife - very few fixed blades in our department. I was an intern at a PD in Columbus OH, a lot of Benchmade Strykers and a few Cold Steel Recon Tantos. I'd say that the most common use for a blade in LE is cutting flex cuffs or cutting people out of seatbelts - In instances where a weapon is needed and for some reason you don't have access to your sidearm, I think most of us would go for the ASP, or TASER - as stabbing someone on the job would raise much public scrutiny (although, when lethal force is warranted, it is legal to use any means available - even your patrol car). Hope that helps.
 
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