Tenn. police allowed to carry personal AR-15 rifles

[MikePapa1]

Tenn. police allowed to carry personal AR-15 rifles

Joey Garrison, The Tennessean8:01a.m. EST January 15, 2013

(Photo: Alex Brandon, AP)

Story Highlights

• Police can carry personal AR-15 rifles with inspection, training
• Currently, imited number of officers involved in SWAT and canine unit carry assault rifles
• AR-15 used in Newtown, Conn., and Aurora, Colo., mass shootings

NASHVILLE -- In response to the recent mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., and others, the Nashville police department will allow trained officers to carry their personal AR-15 rifles inside their vehicles while on duty.

"Deadly events across the United States over the past few years, including, among others, those in Carson City, Nev., Aurora, Colo., and Newtown, Conn., demonstrate the high-powered weapons with which criminals are arming themselves," Police Chief Steve Anderson said.

"It has become increasingly clear that a pistol and shotgun may not be enough for an officer to stop a threat to innocent citizens. This policy change is in the best interest of public and officer safety."

Under the department's existing policy, a limited number of officers involved in SWAT and canine unit assignments carry those weapons.

According to police spokesman Don Aaron, the updated policy will allow officers to carry "personally owned" rifles inside their vehicles as long as guns are inspected and authorized, weapons aren't modified and officers complete a three-day course on patrol rifle deployment.

 

For the rest of the story go here: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/15/tennessee-police-personal-assault-rifles/1835381/

[Guest 6.8 AR]

I figured they already had them in the trunk. Good idea.

[Chucktshoes]

I figured they already had them in the trunk. Good idea.

Memphis cops do. Well, ones that have been on the force for 3 years and complete the PR course anyways.

[Dolomite_supafly]

LE in my area do.

 

Dolomite

[ProjectDexter]

Dickson police do as well, it just requires more range time and qualification.

[Sam1]

Great! Costs us almost nothing and got more firepower roaming around.

[mikegideon]

I figured there was one in every Metro car already.

 

BTW: I wonder how this will work with a ban? Personal rifles?

Edited January 16, 2013 by mikegideon

[Dolomite_supafly]

LE will likely be exempt while active. After retirement it will probably be like CA's laws regarding this.

I got to thinking that if there is a mag ban can I use high caps of my LE buddies?

Dolomite

[.357SIG]

I do think that metro issues long guns other than the usual scatter guns. I think that this is for the officers that want the extra tools at their disposal without having to go through all the headache of getting approval/issued/payed for by metro. Win/win for the officers that want to do so and metro can avoid forking out the funds and effort to fully equip all of their officers.

[jcoosi]

Brownsville LEOs have been carrying them for a while now.

[Guest ArmyVeteran37214]

I was under the assumption that all LEO agencies in TN had M16/M4/AR-15's issued to their officers all the time. This is good news in my eyes.

[Guest CCI]

Vital piece of equipment, ever police unit should have one!

[TLRMADE]

Brentwood has them between the front seats ever since that bank robbery Shootout at few years ago!

[2.ooohhh]

Brentwood has them between the front seats ever since that bank robbery Shootout at few years ago!

Yep, I was across Franklin Rd. at the Texico oil change when that went down, I was too young to carry at the time but it was eye opening to say the least. They changed several things right after that incident. One being the AR-15s in every patrol car, the other being that they switched away from the digitally encrypted radios that they had just started using, b/c it apparently made it impossible for them to communicate with the metro officers arriving on scene to assist who were carrying standard radios. Seems  to me that the bad guys may have figured out that banks in Davidson county make better targets since then. 

[K191145]

Give them a choice, let them carry an AK if they want to. :)

[ProjectDexter]

Speaking of scatterguns, Dickson PD uses slugs, and that's all. At least according to family member on the force, is that pretty standard?

[glowdotGlock]

When I was an active deputy in the last 2 years, my RRA LAR was in the trunk. I don't know of a department around that doesn't.

[glowdotGlock]

Give them a choice, let them carry an AK if they want to. :)

One of our deputies carried a Mini 14 all "tacked out"

[NRA]

One of our deputies carried a Mini 14 all "tacked out"

I do

[Keyless]

Proves that the gun is not the evil thing they make it out to be . It all lies in the hands of the one who pulls the trigger .

 

I remember a few moths back , a Georgia officer got in trouble for pawning his police department , issued AR . I don't remember the County or if it was a City officer . Seems like it was in North Georgia.

[DWARREN123]

I can see it but "High Powered Weapon", get real.

[K191145]

I can see it but "High Powered Weapon", get real.

Medium power maybe? How about an M1A?

[alwaysonjohn]

most departments have been letting officers carry their own gun for years due to budget issues.  Nashville seems behind the times on this, but from a legal standpoint they did have a reason.  Even in a justified shooting the weapon becomes scrutinized by the victim's family.

 

For "scatter guns" most officers will carry buck shot, bird shot (for deer), and slugs. Department policy will tell the officer which one should be in his "long gun".  One day I hope to carry a saiga 12 since it will speed up and simplify changing the rounds.  

[Keyless]

More of the media misinformation.  Seems to me when I was growing up the 223 was NOT legal for deer hunting in TN . Too small but I know better bullet design and so on have got it to the point it is now legal . Put it next to a 30 06 or 300 Win mag and then call it "high powwered"  .

 

 I thought the original thoughts of the veterens was that it was "underpowered" . I thought that was one of the main arguments when the army was first adopting the M 16 . Can we play back some of those arguments for the media .

 

 The media and their misinformation is one of our worst enemies .  

[Dustbuster]

I believe metro did this because they wont pay for ar's for the patrol guys or investigators."it aint in the budget", so they chose to go the safe route and "allow" the guys to use personals along w TO weapons.Smart decision.extra training is good too.Most agencies wont brag about what guys really have,rightfully so in the best interest of safety.For years the bad guys had better weapons than LE issued weapons.The decisions to allow better gear was made after officers were fighting with spitballs versus a bad guy with a cannon.All in all with the demographics of this state considered in addition to being criss crossed with major highways its definitely a plus. Whats often found in a bad guys car will make one wonder why LE has always been undergunned for so long...AT least now you can carry your own AR because policy says so..

Edited January 17, 2013 by Dustbuster